Thank you all for reviewing! This takes place at the end of the Search for Tsunade arc, after Naruto learns Rasengan and Kakashi is healed by Tsunade. I'm sure you can tell by this chapter that I am not a fan of Narusaku… Sakunaru… those two characters anywhere near each other… And love me some good Sasunaru… Oh! And spoilers for anime-watchers. Anyway, this chapter name is 'Part One' because, well, I shall continue it with the Valley of the End. This sets up the Sasuke's leaving. Well... enjoy.

"Are you sure that you should be doing this?"

"For the last time, yes. Now either help me or go away."

Naruto grimaced, but, nevertheless, he just tightened his grip on Kakashi's waist and continued to help him move across the rooftops. The jounin was leaning almost entirely on him, exhausted and near emaciated body disused to movement. He really shouldn't have been out of the hospital, but when Kakashi had stood and began to make his escape out the window, Naruto had had two options- either help him, or watch him fall two stories to land flat on his face.

That was how Naruto had ended up half-carrying a man that was twice his size across the rooftops to his rat sized apartment. Naruto was really just relieved to see him awake and moving, no matter how tired he seemed, and so helping him escape the hospital didn't worry him nearly as much as it should. Technically, Tsunade hadn't told him to stay in the hospital, so, technically, they weren't breaking any rules.

Naruto jumped when Kakashi stumbled, nearly slipping off their precarious position onto the icy street below. He barely managed to snag the jounin's wrist in time. "Niisan!" he cried, yanking him back upright, though his worry was wasted- the man just sighed and continued running. "Slow down!"

"What, can't keep up?"

Naruto glared. "You know that's not the problem."

Kakashi's eye just curved into a tired arc of fake glee, and, together, he and Naruto jumped down from the last rooftop to land on the stairs leading up to Kakashi's apartment. "You do know that Tsunade-obaachan is going to probably kill you for this."

Kakashi gave him a look, even as his hand glowed blue and he began to disarm his many traps. "No, but I'm surprised she doesn't kill you for calling her 'obaachan'."

"No, she's really actually old! She's not as young as she looks, Niisan!"

"…I know that. But women don't particularly… particularly like…" Kakashi broke off as he yawned again, and then Naruto nearly shoved him inside and pointed back to his bedroom like a drill sergeant.

"Go to bed. Now."

"Maa, Naruto, you shouldn't speak to your elders like that." But, even as he spoke, Kakashi padded off to his bedroom, dragging his feet, fingers fumbling at the small line of stitches connecting his mask to his shirt. Naruto watched him as protectively as a parent until he stumbled out of sight, then nodded in satisfaction.

These past several weeks, his mind had been on Kakashi and Sasuke. He hadn't been able to stop seeing Itachi making Sasuke scream with just one single look from those scarlet eyes, making him fall to the ground as if dead… and substituting Kakashi in his place. His anger at Tsunade when the stubborn woman had first refused to return with them to Konoha- he'd wanted to drag her back kicking and screaming. And the very idea of her becoming Hokage, the woman who had scoffed at the Third and said it was a stupid title without any worth- it sickened him. She didn't even give a damn about it, about the title or the village, and the idea of her becoming the next Hokage had seemed horrible.

He'd fought to learn the Rasengan to get Sasuke and Kakashi better and stop her from spitting on the title of Hokage. He hadn't cared less about whether or not she would return to the village and actually take up charge.

But then, he'd finally made his Chakra spiral and spin and he'd slammed it into Kabuto's chest for Tsunade, because she had fought to kill Orochimaru, and any enemy of Orochimaru's was a friend of his. And then he'd learned about Dan and Nawaki and understood her a little bit more, and by the fight's end, he could think of no other choice for the position of Hokage.

Naruto smiled as he moved about the shabby apartment, occasionally swiping at the fine film of dust that had accumulated in Kakashi's long absence. He had never doubted her skills as a healer, but the moment Sasuke had sat upright in bed as if nothing was wrong was the moment that his heart was put at ease. He'd been so happy to see his friend awake- awake and not screaming, as he had been during whatever Itachi had done to him… but then Sakura had thrown her arms around him and started to sob into his shoulder.

Sasuke hadn't responded with any affection whatsoever, but still, being brushed aside like that had hurt. Naruto hadn't been looking for gratitude, seeing Sasuke okay was thanks enough, but Sakura hadn't even looked at him. She'd just begged Tsunade to help Sasuke and then all her attention was on him.

He hadn't just missed Sasuke and Kakashi these past few weeks. He'd missed her, too. He'd been thrilled to see her, but she hadn't even seemed to notice he was there.

Naruto shook his head and forced himself to smile, but it hurt. That was how Team Seven had always been. Sasuke, cold and indifferent to both him and Sakura, and Sakura's affection and praise always steadfastly directed at Sasuke. If she noticed he was there with them at all, it would be to chastise and scold him.

But, Sasuke and Kakashi were okay, the village had a Hokage, and Sakura was happy. That was all that mattered.

Finally satisfied that Kakashi's apartment was clean of the bugs and dust that had invaded over the course of the past month, Naruto moved towards the kitchen to see just what the jounin had that was remotely edible. His few perishables had, indeed, perished, which left a green loaf of bread and a moldy apple to be disposed of- Naruto found himself shaking his head at the man's pitiable reserves. All that was left were a few containers of instant ramen, the supplies that Kakashi always had in the house for when Naruto stayed over.

He pulled out two dinners and began to heat them up, assuming Kakashi would be hungry. He would be, too, if he'd been in a coma for a month. In fact, he was a bit surprised that Kakahsi's first destination had been a bed and not a ramen stand. But the man had barely made it back to his apartment before passing out… maybe it was sleep that he needed, not food.

Naruto devoured his own meal in the space of a minute, then took Kakashi's back to his bedroom and knocked lightly on the closed door. "Niisan?"

There was no reply, so he gingerly nudged the door open and poked his head inside curiously. Kakashi was curled up on his side, uniform shirt discarded in favor of his sleeveless ANBU top, mask still pulled up to his nose. His headband lay on a nearby table next to his only two photographs, rough silver hair in disarray without it holding it back, scarred eye hidden in a pillow. He looked far more peaceful than he had when Naruto had seen him at the hospital before Tsunade had healed him, none of that dead stillness of a long coma.

Naruto smiled at the sight of Kakashi so relaxed and almost didn't want to wake him. He could just eat Kakashi's dinner himself and make him another one later, when he was awake. Naruto was about to backtrack out of the room but hesitated when Kakashi rolled onto his side and muttered something into the raggedy pillow. "Kakashi-niisan?"

"…S-stop… please…"

Naruto stiffened in horror. It wasn't the words so much as his tone. Kakashi's voice was terrified, tortured… pleading.

Kakashi was pleading.

He had never, ever heard his Kakashi-niisan plead.

"Not again…"

Naruto stared, rooted to the spot. Kakashi shifted again, his masked expression now twisted in agony. He had never seen Kakashi like this before. It took another low cry of pain to get him to spring forward, launching himself onto the edge of the bed and latching onto Kakashi's arm. "Niisan!" he cried, pulling on him anxiously. "Niisan, it's okay, wake up, it's just a dream, Kakashi-niisan, ple-"

Naruto's airways were choked off in a blur of motion. His head slammed back into the bed and one hand was wrapped around his throat, the other pinning an icy kunai to his flesh. Kakashi's eyes were wild and unfocused, red Sharingan spinning so fast he couldn't track it, and he looked ready to kill. Naruto fought back before he was aware of what was happening, kicking up at Kakashi and reaching down to grab his own kunai from its holster as Kakashi snarled and squeezed tighter.

Kakashi knocked the kunai from his hand with one swift jab and Naruto coughed, beginning to wheeze. "N-N-Niisan!"

Kakashi let out a harsh breath as his eye began to spin slower, but his grip on Naruto's throat didn't loosen, and the dark killing intent in his mismatched gaze didn't once falter.

Naruto's vision was just beginning to go black when he could suddenly breathe again.

He gasped, wheezing frantic breaths down his raw throat until he could see again. With Kakashi no longer on top of him, he took in great, greedy gulps of air, fighting to breathe, then finally managed to turn onto his side. Kakashi was sitting on the very edge of his bed, hands fisted in the blanket so tight his knuckles were white. He hung his head and was gasping for breath, shoulders and taut back muscles trembling.

When Naruto's frantic breaths slowed to the point where he was no longer in danger of passing out, he managed to push himself upright. He reached out with a shaking hand to touch Kakashi, but the man flinched the moment they made contact and shifted away from him. "Kakashi… Kakashi-niisan?" His voice was so hoarse it was hardly audible and his throat burned like fire to talk.

"I'm so… so sorry, Naruto." Kakashi's speech was hardly more than a small murmur, but at least it symbolized a complete return with reality. "Oh, god. G-god damn it, I t-told you, never wake me wh-wh-when I'm having a nightmare."

Naruto stared in horror. Only now did he remember what Kakashi had told him one night two years ago, when he had slept over at the jounin's place the same night he'd returned home from a long mission. Kakashi had paused, then touched him on the shoulder and implored that Naruto not interfere if he had a nightmare- that it was very, very important that he just stay in his room and not try to wake him up.

Now he knew why.

He hesitantly sat upright and moved a little closer to Kakashi. He reached up to touch him, then thought better of it and dropped his hand. "I- I know, but I saw you and I thought… are you all right?"

Kakashi abruptly twisted to stare at him in fury. "What the fuck do you mean, 'are you all right'? I just tried to strangle you and you're asking me if I'm all right?!"

Naruto flinched back. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd ever heard Kakashi swear, but it was definitely the first time the man had ever cursed at him. The wild, angry look in his eyes- that was a new one, too. He'd never seen Kakashi look at him like that before.

Kakashi stared him down for one long, terrible moment before he shook his head abruptly and stood, crossing across the room to slam a fist into the wall so hard the wood splintered. "…Just tell me you're okay, Naruto."

"…Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Kakashi released a heavy, shuddering breath. He hunched his shoulders, still shaking, then turned away from the wall and took another step forward, then stopped, staring. Naruto crawled to the other side of the bed to see what he was looking at, then realized it was the small container of instant ramen that he must have thrown to the floor sometime in the struggle.

"…What?"

Naruto clenched the blanket awkwardly. "Um, well, I thought you might be hungry, so…"

Kakashi paused, then just shook his head and knelt to clean the mess up. He didn't say a word, but as Naruto crouched on the edge of the bed to watch, he noticed more was wrong with Kakashi than could be expected- even considering he'd just woken up from a nightmare.

He was cleaning up the hot broth and noodles with a swath of dark cloth- his shirt, which he had removed. But he was only taking care of the mess with one hand; the other was slowly tracing patterns along his pale ribcage as if subconsciously searching for injuries. Naruto could see his bare chest and found only old scars- no new injuries. Still, Kakashi winced with every probing touch, as if he were digging fingers into fresh wounds that were bleeding and raw.

His mind traveled back to Sasuke, screaming as if he'd been set on fire when there was nothing physically wrong with him. He'd asked Jiraiya about it later, and the man had said Sasuke had likely been tortured while under the genjutsu, Itachi stretching out time and causing the illusion of pain with his eyes.

Had he done the same thing to Kakashi…? Was that why he seemed to be searching for wounds that weren't there? Injuries that Itachi had inflicted on him in this mysterious Tsukuyomi?

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, then fell silent to watch as, with a blur of fingers, Kakashi had a thin stream of pressurized water emerging from his mouth to hit what remained of the food stains on the floor. And then, with another seal, he breathed a tiny flame of fire and the dampness in the wood evaporated, vanishing.

Kakashi let his mask pool around his neck instead of pulling it up and stood, slinging the ruined shirt over his shoulder and slumping out of the room. Naruto didn't comment on the mask- he had seen his face before, after all, even if the occasions were rare- and followed, watching as the jounin tossed ihis shirt into the trash and dragged himself into the kitchen. Kakashi immediately dropped his weary body into a chair as if he lacked the strength to remain upright any longer.

Naruto moved towards the fridge, gesturing slightly. "I can make you some more, if you want?"

It took a long while for Kakashi to shake his head, the slightest of movements, and murmur, "No, thank you. I'm not hungry."

Naruto frowned. "Are you sure? I mean, you haven't actually had a real meal in a while…"

Once again, it took a long time to draw a response out of the man, and, once again, it was in the negative. "I'm sure, Naruto."

With a shrug, Naruto sat down across from Kakashi, watching him out of the corner of his eye. "Okay, Kakashi-niisan," he said easily. "But tell me if you change your mind."

"…Mmm."

Naruto grimaced at his characteristically ambiguous response, and his worry only increased when the Copy Ninja slid down to pillow his head in his arms. He opened his mouth to say that maybe Kakashi should just go back to bed, but the jounin began talking before he could get a word in.

"So, tell me. How'd you track down Tsunade? Last I heard, she was roaming about and losing everything in gambling."

Kakashi watched sleepily as Naruto, eagerly enough, launched into a tale of training and perverted escapades and drunken challenges. He managed to pay attention for a few minutes, but the boy's excited musings quickly lulled him to sleep once again.

When he woke up again, Naruto was still talking a mile a minute, gesticulating excitedly while pacing around his small kitchen. "…And so Orochimaru and Ero-sennin were fighting and I used it for the first time against Kabuto, I pulled it off, Kakashi-niisan, I did a Rasengan! Kabuto couldn't believe it and later on, Jiraiya was so proud, he said he knew I could do it..."

Kakashi raised his head as Naruto's rambling continued. It sounded like he'd woken up in the middle of a climax of an action movie. Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Rasengan? None of those things had any place on a mission to find Tsunade. Well, Orochimaru had a habit of turning up in things that were absolutely not his business and Kabuto apparently tagged along with him, but… Rasengan? He cleared his throat and spoke up. "Um, Rasengan? Don't you mean that Jiraiya did a Rasengan?"

Naruto blinked, as if noticing Kakashi was in the room for the first time, then turned to roll his eyes and exclaim, "Haven't you been listening, Kakashi-niisan? I told you how hard that training was!"

Kakashi winced. He remembered the Rasengan training, all right. He also remembered it taking him longer than just a few weeks, but Naruto had only been gone so long… "You learned Rasengan?" he asked, still in disbelief.

"Yes! What, you don't believe me? I'll show you!"

"Wait, Naruto-"

"Kage Bunshin no justu!"

Kakashi blinked, but his confusion was only lasted for a moment. Naruto's clone stabbed the air above his original's outstretched hand and then, to his shock, a spiraling orb of bright blue Chakra appeared above his palm.

A Rasengan?!

Naruto smiled proudly up at him, and Kakashi remained dumbfounded for a moment before he sighed and nodded. "Okay, okay, I believe you. But please, let the jutsu dissipate and don't use it to demolish my apartment."

Naruto, thankfully, didn't slam his Rasengan into anything and just let it disappear, and Kakashi relaxed, his apartment now safe. "Sorry, Naruto. It's just, it took Jiraiya and Sensei so long to master that jutsu… I didn't think you could have learned it so quickly."

Naruto shrugged awkwardly. "Well, Ero-sennin said it was probably because I can use my shadow clones to speed up the process… it was still really hard to learn, though. It was so hard to make the Chakra go how I needed it to."

"Trust me, I know. It took me almost a month to use it and I was even aided by my Sharingan."

"What?!"

Kakahsi blinked, looking down at Naruto in surprise. The boy looked shocked and almost angry, and when he just raised an eyebrow questioningly, he began gesturing frantically as he cried, "Ero-sennin said no one but him and the Fourth could use it! What the hell? How come you can use it, too?!"

He chuckled, amused. "Well, he probably left me out because I copied it. Sensei trained me for over a year and I never managed it, but then I got the Sharingan and just copied it."

Naruto was still staring at him in disbelief, so Kakashi just shrugged and held out a hand. "I'm a bit tired, but, let's see here…"

When the dark apartment was lit up by the light of yet another Rasengan, Naruto stared for a moment, then deflated and rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, I get it, Kakashi-niisan. Hmph."

Kakashi let the jutsu dissipate, then frowned and sat down again, across from Naruto. "…It's still an amazing accomplishment that you can use it," he said after a moment, trying to lift Naruto's mood or at least get a smile back on his face. "It's definitely not something just anyone can pull off."

"It's not that. …Kakashi-niisan… um, about Sasuke and Itachi- do you think that Sasuke will ever… Sasuke will ever… be strong enough to kill him?"

Kakashi stared. Naruto's happy mood had abruptly vanished to be replaced by worry and anxiety, two emotions that had never suited him well. He looked almost sad and nervous, and Kakashi had to wonder just what had gone wrong to turn the previously simply discussion onto his path. "Maybe, maybe. But where did that come from?"

He shrugged. "Well… it's still really hard to use Rasengan. I have to concentrate a lot. But when you and Ero-sennin do it, it looks effortless. And you said it's so hard to learn… you two are such great ninja, but Itachi beat both of you. And Sasuke's set on fighting him."

Kakashi sighed deeply. For Sasuke to truly stand any kind of chance against Itachi, he had to awaken Mangekyou Sharingan. There was no other solution. But, Kakashi was almost entirely certain that, to accomplish that, Sasuke would have to kill Naruto.

Hand glowing with lightening and black with blood-

Brown eyes wide with surprise-

Rin slumping over onto him-

Kakashi shivered and forced those images out of his mind. What had happened with Rin was not going to repeat itself. And Sasuke was willing to go to the ends of the earth to murder Itachi, but Kakashi was quite sure that he wouldn't be able to bring himself to kill Naruto.

Neither would he give up on pursuing Itachi, either…

It was a double edged sword, and Kakashi could see no viable solution. Yes, if he had faced Itachi one on one, he never would have risked trying to beat his genjutsu and, instead, would have just avoided eye contact at all costs- it would have put him at a severe disadvantage, but he could have survived without being incapacitated. With a Sharingan in both eyes and greater Chakra reserves, Sasuke could surely at least put up a fight, even without Mangekyou.

But putting up a fight wasn't enough for Sasuke. He wanted to kill Itachi with his own bare hands.

Kakashi hesitated for a mount longer before he cleared his throat. "First, Itachi did not 'beat' Jiraiya. He fought Jiraiya two on one and still ended up fleeing for his life. He and his partner were unable to take you from him. That alone says something. Besides, Jiraiya-sama simply isn't a good match for Itachi; unless he's changed, he's somewhat hopeless with genjutsu. That happens to be Itachi's strong point. Sasuke has the ability to become strong enough to fight Itachi."

This didn't seem to be enough to put the blond's worries at ease. Instead, he just looked away, shifting uncomfortably in his chair until he managed to clear his throat to speak. "…He dodged Sasuke's Chidori, though. That his strongest move. …Your strongest move. And you two move so fast when you use it… but Itachi just dodged it like it was nothing. He's so strong, Niisan…"

Kakashi frowned. "Listen to me, Naruto. His Sharingan is just more developed than Sasuke's- that means it was easier for him to dodge it. Sasuke's will reach that point, too. You don't need to worry, Naruto… if anyone is capable of killing Itachi, it is Sasuke. He has the Sharingan and the true body of the Uchiha. That's enough."

Kakashi couldn't help but fear that he was lying, though.

He knew, full well, that he was going to have to begin to train to use his own Mangkeyou. As he was now, he could do little more than activate it before passing out- that was going to have to change. The pressure had actually been on for him to do so for years, ever since the Uchiha had been slaughtered and he was the last living user of the Sharingan loyal to Konoha- it was only his truly dreadful stamina and Sandaimne that had prevented him from receiving an actual order to do so.

But Itachi had just utterly destroyed him. Kakashi knew it couldn't be phrased any better than that. He had to be ready for if- no, when- it happened again.

Because Itachi could come after Sasuke, and the entire Akatsuki could come after Naruto, and Kakashi would be dammed if he let anything happen to them.

He reached up to trace the cold, rough flesh of his scar. He had never wanted to learn to use his Mangekyou… but, it had come at the expense of Rin's life. Just as his Sharingan had come at the expense of Obito's. If he could use it to keep his teammates safe, then how could he be selfish enough not to? He owed to his team. …Both of them.

"…so, what do you think, Kakashi-niisan?"

Kakashi started. "Um, what did you say?"

Naruto shrugged morosely. "I asked if you thought we could convince Sasuke not to go after Itachi."

Kakashi stared down at him in shock.

The blond's head was propped up on his arms, cerulean eyes dark with worry. He was staring off into the distance, a look of pain far beyond his fears rearranging his features into an uncertain mask. When he spoke again, his voice was small and anxious, filled with care and fear for a friend. "…I don't know… I mean, I know that Itachi hurt Sasuke. A lot. But he's got us now, right? I just- I don't want him to waste everything trying to kill Itachi and I'm worried that if they fight again, then Itachi will… will kill him. He's so strong… I know he'll hurt Sasuke and I don't know if he'll be strong enough to get out alive.

"I don't want him to die, Niisan."

Kakashi flinched.

Once upon time, a young, energetic boy labeled as Dead Last, dead set on becoming Hokage, had become just dead to protect the cold, emotionless bastard of the team.

That couldn't happen to Naruto… could it?

Kakashi forcefully cleared his throat and made himself shift to look Naruto in the eye. "You're not a kid anymore. I'm not going to lie to you and just say 'everything will be okay' But I can promise that Sasuke won't die, not while I can help it."

"But you can't fight Itachi either, Niisan!"

"…There's a doujutsu I've put off training to use. Put it off for years. I can guarantee that the next time Itachi and I fight, I won't be such a pushover. But that's not the point. I've seen enough of my teammates die. You and Sasuke aren't going to be killed by the Akatsuki or anybody else… I promise."

Naruto shifted uneasily. The time had long passed since Kakashi could make easy promises to keep him safe and instantly silence all of his fears. No matter what the jounin said, Naruto knew that, this time, everything couldn't be fixed with a simple oath that they would all be all right. If Itachi and Kakashi met again, he knew that there was a possibility that Kakashi would wind up being tortured into a coma. Again.

The same was true with Sasuke.

For one brief, childish moment, Naruto couldn't help but wish that Itachi would just leave them all alone. Hadn't he hurt Sasuke enough? Hadn't he hurt everyone enough? Why did he have to keep coming back and making them all suffer?

But he was a shinobi, not a kid, and he knew that things just didn't work like that.

"…Kakashi-niisan, you're not allowed to die, either."

A moment passed in silence, and then his eye curved up into a tired smile.

The next moment, Kakashi yawned, and then Naruto was standing and hauling the man to his feet as well. He pointed in the direction on his bedroom and ordered, "Go!"

"Maa, Naruto, it was just a yawn-"

"You're still tired, I knew it! Get in there!"

Kakashi sighed but cheerfully gave a two-finger salute as he stood and began slouching off to his bedroom, eye drooping as if he could barely keep it open. "I don't know when I started taking orders from twelve year olds…"

"When I realized you sucked at taking care of yourself! Now, get in there- and I'll be back later to make sure you're actually sleeping!"

Kakashi gave a sleepy chuckle while Naruto grinned, the depressed discussion taking a turn for the better. But it was a cheap ending, and they both knew it. Nothing had actually been resolved. Sasuke's vendetta against Itachi was still all too real, the threat of the Akatsuki against him was still there, and Kakashi had only given his usual promise that he would stop them from dying.

But Kakashi had always kept that promise. On every single mission they went on, Kakashi seemed to appear when it was just almost too late, his only goal to keep his team safe.

Sasuke and his sworn oath against Itachi, versus Kakashi and his vow to keep his friends alive.

Sasuke and his sworn oath again Itachi, versus Naruto and his steadfast refusal to let him get hurt any more than he already had.

Surely, Naruto thought, between him and Kakashi, they could keep Sasuke safe.