Thank you for reviewing! Today is definitely a good day. I skip school tomorrow, took the last of my AP exams, got two birthday presents and my birthday isn't even for another 15 days (though those are two presents are probably all I'm going to get…) AND finished this! I like this one much better than my last chapter. I didn't think I would have any ideas for it, then, hey, I had an idea! It's not perfect, but- well, I seem to have troubles perfecting anything enough to make me happy. So, enjoy!
Naruto said goodbye to Iruka three times. Each time was harder than the last.
The first time, he thought would be the only time. They went to Ichiraku's and spent over three hours talking, remembering all the way back to his Academy days. It ended with Iruka hugging Naruto fiercely and making him promise to write.
The second time, Naruto had awkwardly scratched the back of his head and said well, I'm still in town, so- and then Iruka had grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him inside his apartment. The Academy sensei was thrilled to have some more time with his favorite student, regardless of the reason, and they'd devoured the instant ramen he'd been planning on eating alone. Not as good as Ichiraku's, but that was okay, because this time Naruto lingered past what would've been closing time at the ramen stand, and it was almost midnight when he finally went home.
The third time was almost a week after the first time, and this time it had been Iruka who had approached Naruto. The sensei knocked on his favorite former student's door at nine in the morning, and this time, the blond had forced him inside. Iruka spent the whole day in Naruto's rat-sized apartment, but this, too, did not last forever, and Iruka finally ended up leaving at ten minutes to midnight. They hugged one last time and Naruto swore he would write every single day.
Then, he could procrastinate no longer. It seemed Kakashi wouldn't be coming home before Naruto left.
The jounin had been assigned an S-class mission a month previously, and was set to return any day now. But any day now was not now, and Jiraiya could wait no longer. It was either leave with Jiraiya, or wait for Kakashi to come home. There was no 'wait for Kakashi to come home and then leave with Jiraiya' option. Jiraiya was apologetic and understanding, but still firm, so Naruto took the supplies that he had had packed up for a week and traveled along to the jounin's apartment for a last goodbye.
In the end, Naruto didn't spend long there. It was tiny and dusty and far too clean for his tastes- and full of too many memories. He just left the note on the table and went home, but he exited with a smile. They were good memories, and yeah, three years was a long time, but Kakashi would still be here when he got back. They could just make more good memories.
WIth Sasuke, yeah. With Sasuke.
Kakashi-
Um. Well. Hey. I wanted to wait until you got back from your mission, but it's been a week and we can't stay here in Konoha any longer. We being me and Jiraiya. He's taking me on a training trip! Said that he was going to teach me lots and lots of cool jutsu and techniques and that when I get back I'll be the strongest ever! But, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. Because there's no guarantee that we'll be able to visit Konoha until I'm back for good. Which will be in … a while (scribble scribble) I mean a (scratch out more scribble) three years.
That's why I wanted to say goodbye! But you're not here. I should've known you'd be late, even for this. Even though you didn't know that I would be leaving so it's not really your fault. Well… I'm not going to be here to make you take care of yourself, so you had better stay safe and healthy and all of that, you hear? If I come back and find out that you didn't, I'll be really mad! And Iruka-sensei may get lonely, so make sure you talk to him some, too! I know you guys fought at the chuunin exams but he's still a really nice guy and he may be mad at you but if you just talk to him I'm sure he'll like you.
And don't let Sakura-chan marry anybody! I haven't had my chance to date her yet!
Okay, sorry, I'm really getting off topic. I guess I just wanted to leave you this so you didn't think that I forgot about you. Because I didn't; I waited for you but you were LATE, AGAIN, so I wasn't able to say goodbye in person. So… don't forget anything I told you and I'll write to you all the time and I promise that I'll bring you awesome presents and be so much stronger when I get back. Just wait. I'll be the best ninja ever when I come home I promise!
Love, Naruto
Jiraiya traveled slowly the first few days. They stopped early in the night and rose late the next morning, and walked along the roads instead of running through the trees. There was no reason to hurry, Jiraiya had insisted- training was easier if their took their time on their journey, and it wasn't as if they were in a hurry to go anywhere.
It took them four days to reach the border of Fire Country. But they finally did- though it was a journey that Naruto had once managed to complete in mere hours. It was hardly half an hour after they had crossed the border, though, when things started to get interesting.
First there was a earsplitting crack, and Jiraiya stopped immediately. He raised a hand for Naruto to halt as well and turned to look in the direction of the noise just as there was a piercing scream, along with a sudden gust of smoke that exploded up towards the sky from only half a mile away.
Naruto just stood there, jaw hanging open and blue eyes wide- and then Jiraiya's hand came to rest on his shoulder. Naruto looked up to see the Toad Sage gazing forward to the rising smoke, expression a tad- eager?
"Naruto," he said carefully, "we are going to investigate that. And if any enemy nin are responsible… well…"
"All right!"
Jiraiya grinned, and then, together, the two ninja jumped off into the trees.
They reached the disaster site just in time for a massive earthquake to throw Naruto out of the tree- Jiraiya just barely managed to catch him by the wrist and hold him fast. Naruto hung there limply, staring as the dust settled amidst kunai clashes and what looked like a fire jutsu. When the battle was finally visible-
The hell?!
Kakashi?!
Kakashi was fighting against three enemy ninja, all a blur of motion and lightening and fire, kunai glinting in the sunlight as trees and earth fell victim to the destructive battle. The jounin seemed to be struggling to move past them in the direction of Konoha's borders, but the enemy weren't giving him an inch.
Jiraiya dropped to the ground in an instant, bringing Naruto with him, expression no longer eager but tense and concerned. "Stay here, Naruto," he ordered and dashed forward to join the fight without hesitation. Naruto hung back hesitantly; he couldn't see a way in, he couldn't see a way to step into the fight without getting pummeled. Good lord, it was so fast!
Kakashi made no noticeable signs of relief at Jiraiya's intervention, but Naruto could've sworn he saw his shoulders relax, just a bit. "Jiraiya-sama," the jounin panted, then disappeared only to reappear on the other side of the clearing, the patch of ground where he had been standing littered with kunai and shuriken. "It is nice to see you. Are you my backup?"
"Nope, just a friendly ninja wondering the area. What's the story on these guys?"
"All that remains out of a group of thirteen. Jounin or higher rank from Iwa. Trying to get back into Fire Country's borders for aid- glad you showed up."
"You killed our captain, you son of a bitch!" one of them screamed, and Naruto gasped when a jutsu came this close to taking Kakashi's head off. "You aren't getting out of here alive- this old guy won't change that!"
"Old guy?" Jiraiya scoffed. "Is that all I am? An old guy? Hmm. Going to really have to work on that reputation. Oi, Naruto- sit back and watch the show. This is how I'm going to be teaching you to fight."
Stay back and watch? But- but Kakashi-niisan and Ero-sennin-
Pretty obviously didn't need his help.
If Kakashi had been struggling before their arrival, it didn't show, because he and Jiraiya were kicking the enemy's ass. Naruto stared in awe as the pair made lightening crackle and earth rumble, forcing their opponents to their limits. He so rarely got to see Kakashi fight enemies at his level and when he did, it was amazing- the addition of Jiraiya just made it all the cooler.
Naruto was so enraptured by the fight he almost cheered when one of the enemy fell, taken down by Kakashi, leaving just two behind. He twitched, eager to jump in and help- because damn it, that fight looked really really cool and he wanted to help!
But the moment the now dead enemy hit the ground, one of the other opposing ninja let out a scream of fury and turned right towards Kakashi. The sound jerked Naruto out of his stunned state and he turned toward Kakashi as well, eyes widening when he recognized the enemy's hand seal as the one Sasuke had once formed so often. "You- you bastard!" he gasped, voice shaking and wrought with agony. "You killed one of my teammates for the last time! Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu!"
The initial fire jutsu wasn't the problem. Kakashi had already created a wall of water to block it.
The problem was the other enemy ninja approaching him from behind with the same attack.
Naruto didn't even look towards Jiraiya, but if he had, he would've seen that the Toad Sage was busy yanking a kunai out of his arm and wasn't going to be of any help.
Kakashi-niisan!
"Rasengan!"
Naruto didn't really know what the hell he expected to accomplish with a Rasengan, but it was all he could do. He dove forward, spiraling Chakra glowing on his open palm, and slammed it into the ball of fire headed straight for Kakashi's head. The fire blew against his hand for a moment before giving out, dispersing as a cloud of smoke, the force tossing Naruto backwards into Kakashi.
Naruto tumbled over Kakashi's head and then the jounin was gone. He fell to the ground and his head hit the dirt, and then- then everything was quiet and still.
Naruto lay silently, eyes wide and disbelieving, chest heaving. Was it over? What on earth had happened?
Then something large and heavy slumped over on top of him, and he saw Kakashi's head hit the ground, his body lying limply over his. His grey eye was tired and barely open- it looked like he was struggling to stay conscious- but before Naruto could even get a word in Jiraiya was groaning loudly and traipsing over to them.
"Honestly, Kakashi. You never learned the meaning of stamina, did you?"
Kakashi grunted into the dust. "Hey… just took out thirteen jounin here. Think I deserve… a bit of a… break."
Jiraiya dropped himself down right in between Kakashi and Naruto. "No. You took out ten. I am totally responsible for the last three. If Naruto and I hadn't shown up, you would've been toast, kid."
"I was… almost to Fire Country… woulda been fine..."
Naruto rolled his eyes, even as he scrambled out from underneath Kakashi to kneel beside him. "Shut up. You were this tired and still had those guys left! They were really strong, Kakashi-niisan, what's with you, why would you fight them alone? And there were ten more of them?!"
Kakashi shrugged, beginning to look decidedly uncomfortable with his face still squashed into the dirt. "Solo mission. Tsunade knew I could take them on my own."
"What?! Tsunade-obaachan sent you out alone?! What is wrong with her, that's really dangerous! I can't believe she-"
"Don't be angry with her. But… would you mind… helping me? This isn't exactly comfortable."
Jiraiya groaned again, then slid under Kakashi's limp arm and hauled the jounin onto his back. "No wonder Naruto's strategies all waste energy. He's got you for a sensei; as long as he doesn't keel over after a five minute battle, then he beats you in stamina."
"Five minutes… that's an exaggeration."
"What do you mean, I waste energy?!"
Jiraiya ignored both replies and just walked off into the clearing, away from the blood and dead bodes. "Come on, Naruto. We're going to make camp for the night, but somewhere that doesn't attract carrion. That way our new find can rest up and recover some strength; he'll be strong enough to get himself back to the border in a few hours, probably. There's a camp there where he can rest more."
Kakashi's eye widened a bit at that, but since he was currently slung across the Toad Sage's shoulders, Jiraiya didn't notice his mild surprise and Naruto was too occupied with the three dead bodies to see. "We just leaving these guys here? Why were you fighting them, Niisan, anyway? They seemed pretty mad at you."
"Well, considering I had already killed the rest of their squad, I don't blame them. They were a scouting team… looking for info on Konoha, you know… and this isn't really my favorite position in the world- can you hurry up?"
Kakashi's head bounced lightly against Jiraiya's back as the man complied, walking a little faster now, away from the remains of the battle. Naruto walked alongside him, peering at Kakashi's face curiously even when the jounin twitched uncomfortably. "Naruto? …What are you doing?"
"Just checking. Making sure you're not injured, too, like that time in Mist when you passed out and swore it was just Chakra exhaustion when you really had-"
"Speaking of injuries, Jiraiya-sama, you know that their weapons were poisoned, right?"
Jiraiya swore. "You know, Kakashi, that's the kind of thing that you should just come out and tell someone. Not wait and assume. No, I didn't know that. Usual Iwa stuff?"
"Yeah. Antidote's in my pack. Which Naruto doesn't have to worry about, since he saved my life without getting cut up. Thanks for that, by the way. Good work."
Naruto beamed at the praise, and Jiraiya led them a bit further before he halted in the middle of a new clearing, this one without any blood or bodies that carried no signs of a recent battle. He set Kakashi down and pulled the jounin's pack off of him. "This here is good. I'll get the antidote, then head back to take care of the bodies. Naruto, you watch Kakashi- make sure no enemies come and he doesn't overexert himself. Again. I'll be back in about two hours."
"Jiraiya-sama, I don't need anyone to-"
"Niisan, you know he's already gone, right?"
Kakashi groaned and rolled his head over to bury it in the grass. Honestly… why did just everybody just assume he couldn't take care of himself? It wasn't like he'd never gotten Chakra exhausted before. It had happened before in the field and, lo and behold, he was still alive.
Sighing, Kakashi allowed Naruto to sit him upright against a tree. "So," he asked sleepily, raising a sore and aching arm to rub at his eye, "what are you and Jiraiya-sama doing out here, anyway? I told him, no more taking you out on S-class missions until you're at least a little older- it bothers me when he's so risky with you."
Naruto winced.
Oooooh. Riiiiight. Kakashi didn't know about his training trip.
Uh oh. Confession time.
Naruto shifted awkwardly. He reached up and scratched the back of his head and looked anywhere but at Kakashi. "Um… well… Ero-sennin was just taking me on a trip?"
"A trip. Not a mission, then?"
Naruto paused at Kakashi's shift in tone. The jounin was fishing. He knew that something was up, and boy did Naruto not want to be the one to tell him what was going on.
A moment passed in silence, then Kakashi cleared his throat and curved his eye up into a smile. "You know, Nartuo- I don't really have to stay here any longer before I've recovered enough to make it back to the border. I would be fine to go now. And I'm pretty sure Jiraiya-sama knows that."
"So why would he…"
"I think he wants us to talk. Which means that we have something to talk about." Kakashi watched Naruto dully, unbelievably exhausted eye somehow still alert. "Maa, Naruto, don't make a tired old man like me think. That's much too hard. It would be so much easier if you just came right out and said it, hmm? I'm sure, whatever it is, it's not that bad."
Naruto bit his lip. Yeah… it kind of was that bad.
Okay, he had said goodbye to Iruka. He could said goodbye to Kakashi, too.
"Um… okay. Well… I will- I'm just going to come out and say it. Ero-sennin said that… it was going to get worse- I mean, the Akatsuki would just keep coming after me. That I had to get stronger. And he's right; if I'm going to get Sasuke back and stay ahead of the Akatsuki then I do. But staying in Konoha would be dangerous because I would always be in one place and… so… he said that we were going to go on a training trip. A long one. And… by long I mean three years."
Kakashi's masked expression didn't change. His eye was still drooped against his chest, eye dull and tired and slowly blinking as if he wasn't really comprehending what Naruto was saying. Naruto bit his lip again, then anxiously continued, trying to squash the awkward silence.
"I really wanted to talk to you before I left, Kakashi-niisan! I waited a whole week to say goodbye to you, I did, but Ero-sennin said we had to go so I had to just leave you a note. I felt kind of bad about it but there was no way we could say goodbye face to face. Heh… well, now it looks like we can. I'm just- well… stop looking at me like that! Niisan! You're freaking me out!"
"Hmm? Oh." Kakashi's eye brightened a bit and he sat up straighter, with some effort. "Sorry. It was just a bunch of information to process all at once. So… you're leaving with Jiraiya- for three years. …Wow. That is a long time."
Naruto wished Kakashi would say something that made this less awkward. "Yeah, I know. But- but- I have to! And I'll write, I promise, I'll write all the time. I'll tell you about everything Ero-sennin and I do. It'll be really cool and- and- so you stay safe and promise to write me back! I know you're really lazy and everything but you better not do that with this! I'll be mad if you do that!"
"Um… I- okay." Kakashi slowly made himself keep smiling while he processed the idea that Naruto would be actually gone for three years.
To be honest… he really should've seen it coming.
After all, it's been three months since Sasuke left, and we're no closer to getting him back than when he first left.
And then there was the Akatsuki. The organization that Naruto wasn't really that concerned about, because he knew nothing about them and they hadn't showed their faces since Itachi and Kisame had ran off- also the organization that was not going away or leaving him alone. But they were on Jiraiya's mind, and Tsunade's… and his. Naruto would have to get stronger if he wanted to stay alive.
And… Jiraiya made a much better teacher than he did. The Toad Sage, after all, had taken a bold little genin and molded the Fourth Hokage. Kakashi, on the other hand, had taken three very capable children and created…
A boy with a target on his head and an absent best friend, a broken-hearted and neglected girl, and a missing nin.
He should be glad that Jiraiya was taking Naruto on this trip. Naruto would most certainly get stronger, taught by a far better teacher than Kakashi could ever be, and would end up strong enough to defend himself against even the Akatsuki.
On the other hand, three years is an awful long time. A Copy Ninja is liable to get lonely…
Kakashi quickly shook his head and regretted it when the world spun. A Copy Ninja may be liable to get lonely, but a blond Uzumaki was liable to get dead.
He cleared his throat, ensuring that his voice didn't sound bitter. Naruto had to be so excited and thrilled to be going on this trip with Jiraiya; he didn't need a ninja past his prime putting a damper on his spirits just because he wanted to hang on to his last student.
"That's wonderful, Naruto!" he finally said brightly and smiled again, and he truly wasn't lying. That was wonderful- for Naruto. And he was happy- for Naruto.
Since everything he did was for somebody else, then that was just fine.
Naruto smiled a bit, seeming perfectly willing to accept the lie. "I know; I'm really excited. I can't wait to get really strong, like you! Plus, then we'll be able to get Sasuke back. Sakura-chan's going to get really strong, too, what with Tsunade-obaachan training her and everything, and you're already really strong, so when I come back we'll all be strong enough to get him back."
This would've made Kakashi a whole lot angrier at Sasuke if it weren't for the threat of the Akatsuki, the real reason the council had to be allowing Jiraiya to take their Jincuuriki out for so long to train. As it was, he just stayed just as annoyed at always for at the Uchiha for hurting Naruto and continued to keep a fake smile plastered all over his face.
"Then I'll be eagerly waiting for you to come back."
"You better be. You're not getting him back without me there to help!"
Kakashi shook his head slightly. "Of course not. I know better than to do that."
Naruto nodded in return, then awkwardly looked away and scratched the side of his head. "Ah… well… that was a relief. You took this a lot better than Iruka-sensei did."
"Oh?"
He nodded again. "Mmmhmm. See, we kind of ended up saying goodbye three times- since you were so late- and he told me it was going to get so lonely without me around and made me feel really guilty without even meaning to, and he didn't really believe me when I first told him and he made me swear to write to him all the time and not to ever ever forget to. You're making this a lot easier on me, Niisan."
Kakashi shrugged at that. "Well, I'm only looking at it logically. You're going to one of the best teachers there is; he taught my sensei. And I trust Jiraiya, I know he'll teach you well and won't let anything happen to you."
Naruto beamed. Kakashi's reaction was relieving. He didn't seem angry or upset at all, and Naruto wasn't good at dealing with either one of those emotions.
On the other hand… it was kind of odd. Naruto had practically lived with Kakashi half the time since he was eight- that was for five years. Naruto knew that he was going to miss him. Okay… well… Kakashi may be the most insufferable, infuriating, always late annoying porn-reading man in the world- but Naruto would still miss him. Wasn't Kakashi going to miss him at all?
Naruto took a deep breath before he could get mad. If there was one thing Kakashi had taught him, it was that staying calm and analyzing the situation first could yield wonderful results.
You're going to one of the best teachers there is…
Wait a minute…
Was Kakashi…?
He remembered Iruka once telling him after he graduated that as proud as he was that his students were moving onto bigger and better things, with bigger and better teachers, he was sad that they were all moving on without him. He would miss them, he'd said (plus that it made him feel kind of old). And Sasuke and Sakura had already...
"Don't worry, Niisan!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, attracting Kakashi's attention. The jounin raised his head in surprise, tired eye widening a bit, and Naruto happily. "You're still my favorite sensei!"
Kakashi watched him dully, his expression not changing in the slightest before it finally shifted just barely to reveal an eye smile. "Naruto, don't say that. You'll make Iruka-sensei jealous."
"What? Oh… okay, okay, Iruka-sensei is my favorite sensei, but you're my favorite niisan. Ero-sennin is awesome and all of that but you're still definitely my favorite niisan, dattebayo!"
Kakashi blinked in surprise. Why would Naruto think he needed to hear that?
And why was it filling him with a warmth that he hadn't expected to feel- or even want to feel?
"So, just don't get lonely and think I'll forget about you or anything, because I won't; you're my favorite niisan and I promise I'll write all the time and definitely won't forget about you!"
OH. So, that's why…
Oh, Naruto. You worry too much.
But the next time Kakashi smiled, it wasn't faked. Not at all. "Maa, don't worry, Naruto. You're my favorite, too. Just don't let Sakura or Sasuke ever hear you repeat that."
Jiraiya didn't actually return for another three hours, and he walked back into the clearing with a wary look in his eyes and his clothes stained in blood. "You guys good?" he asked, setting Kakashi's pack from earlier down next to the jounin. "Talked everything out?"
"Yes, yes," Kakashi called airily. "I don't know why you're looking at us like you expect a bomb to go off."
"It's Naruto. He's your Number One Unpredictable ninja, right? Never know what might happen."
Kakashi grunted in reply as he pulled his pack over and slid his arms through it. "I seriously doubt he is able to spontaneously combust, no matter how unpredictable he is. Stop looking at him like he might blow up."
"Protective, much? Besides, I wasn't looking at him like that- I was looking at you like that."
Kakashi groaned. "One time. One time, you saw me test out my Raiton: Kage bunshin, and ever since then, you're convinced that I'm going to explode. That's it; I'm out- even the annoying medics at the border camp are better than this." Kakashi tried to stand for a moment in vain, then groaned even louder and slumped back in defeat. Jiraiya grinned and Naruto snickered loudly. "Oh, laugh it up," the jounin snapped. "So hilarious. Poking fun at an exhausted old man who's been fighting for the past ten hours. Funny, funny stuff."
"Psssh. If you're old, then Ero-sennin is ancient."
Jiraiya frowned at that and Naruto high-fived Kakashi happily. "I knew it," the jounin crowed. "Still loyal to me and not the Toad Sage. Remember, Naruto- dogs are much cooler than toads."
"My toads are a hell of a lot bigger than your dogs."
"Bigger isn't always better, you know."
Jiraiya smiled knowingly. "And you call yourself an Icha Icha fan. Anyone who's read my stuff just knows that that's not true."
Naruto frowned. "Huh? Bigger- like bigger muscles and stuff? Well duh bigger is always better. Well… maybe not in girls. Really really strong girls are kind of scary. But I thought girls only liked really strong guys."
Kakashi blinked slowly, then twisted to stare up at Jiraiya. "I'm feeling less and less comfortable about sending him out with you for so long. He's going out this… well, innocent and is going to come back a junior… you. A junior sex fiend."
Naruto blanched while Jiraiya just laughed heartily, reaching down to haul the copy ninja to his feet. "That's pervert. Pervert, not sex fiend. Get your terminology right."
"Ow! You could be a little- hey! Ugh… having fun here?"
Jiraiya pushed Kakashi's exhausted body back against the tree, smile broadening when the jounin struggled to stay on his feet. "That's what you get. Trust me. Naruto is not going to be corrupted; his horizons will just be broadened and I will educate him in everything- from jutsu to, of course, the fine world of women. When he gets back, he'll be a wonderful little-"
"Finish that sentence with the word womanizer, and he's not going."
Jiraiya huffed. "Fine. I just won't finish that sentence."
Kakashi rolled his eye before pushing himself off of the tree, standing on his own two feet. Naruto frowned; the jounin looked like he was about to fall flat on his face- but when he didn't hit the ground after the first few seconds, he decided to just smile and look back to Jiraiya. The Toad Sage glanced down at him, then nodded, seeming satisfied about something. "All right. You good to go, Kakashi? Because I've spent enough time here taking care of your unfinished mess. Time for us to set off!"
Kakashi nodded easily. "I'll find my way to the border eventually."
"Good. Don't get lost on the way; Tsunade will kill me."
"Well, you know me. I try not to, but I just so often get lost on the path of life…"
Naruto scowled. "Kakashi-niisan, I love you and all, but at least try and learn how to be punctual while I'm gone."
Kakashi chuckled. "Oh, come on. It would frighten people if I was on time. I'm only late to keep the peace now. Who knows what would happen if I was ever punctual-"
"Enough, kid. Naruto's right. I would love it if you showed up less than three hours late once in a while."
Kakashi just smiled.
It was quiet for a moment, and then Jiraiya pointedly tugged on Naruto's pack, gesturing into the forest. "Come on. We have to get going."
Kakashi waved slightly when Naruto glanced back hesitantly. "Have fun. Don't do anything too stupid."
"You, too, Niisan."
The awkwardness dragged on, Naruto shifting his weight uncomfortably until Jiraiya cleared his throat and spoke, his voice unnecessarily loud. "Ah… I think I see a beautiful woman up there! I'll just be going! Naruto, catch up with me later, eh?"
Naruto rolled his eyes as the Toad Sage quickly vanished into the trees, then slowly turned back to Kakashi and smiled. "Well… I guess this is it."
Kakashi nodded. "Yeah."
How was this supposed to go? How exactly was he supposed to leave? Damn, he really wasn't good at goodbyes.
Well, he had hugged Iruka (all three times). He would hug Kakashi, too.
The jounin stiffened when Naruto wrapped his arms around his middle, and the blond only remembered then that Kakashi wasn't good with hugs. Or touching. Or physical or relationship anything.
Oh well.
"…I'll miss you, Niisan."
Kakashi slowly relaxed against him, and just when Naruto thought he had actually succeeding in teaching the jounin that a hug did not equal a physical attack, the man lifted him up and set him back a foot. "Well, you'd best get going. Don't let Jiraiya get too involved with his forest nymph."
Naruto smiled weakly. "I have the feeling I'm going to see a lot of that the next three years." A moment passed, then he raised a hand in a half-hearted wave and nodded at him before turning to the forest. "I'll… see you."
"Mmm."
Naruto forced himself not to look back as he began the slow walk after Jiraiya. He was almost out of earshot when he heard the jounin finally reply to his earlier comment. "I'll miss you too, Naruto."
Naruto paused, then continued walking. But he was smiling.