Disclaimer: Not mine. Bummer.
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki disappeared from radar two years ago, leaving behind a psychotic best friend and a town full of terrified people. Now he's back, much to his 'watchdog's' dismay. KakaNaru. Written because I lost another bet. Stupid Roely… with love.
Author's Note: I'm told by those unfortunate enough to read my stories beforehand that I should include a warning… a warning that has nothing to do with lemonade and everything to do with Sasuke Uchiha… who knew that those two terms were separate? Anyway, the pairing in this story is Kakashi and Naruto, as agreed upon when the bet was made. The thing is I couldn't write Naruto with anyone but Sasuke and so I had to make Sasuke… bad. Really bad… otherwise Naruto would jump his ass as soon as he entered the story and I couldn't leave the bastard out. Sigh. My friends were concerned because I guess I really went above and beyond the call of duty and they were worried that I, the queen of fluffiness, could create such a character. And so, I had to warn all my darling readers that Sasuke is not fluffy… even though it broke my little heart.
Michele
So Help Me God
Story for Roely
Konoha was under Uchiha law, which was a lot like marital law, just with more death and less friendly guys in green.
Amusing though it may sound, it was far from it. Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha were the rulers of the entire populace and no one… no one… made any attempt at changing that without disappearing for long, long periods of time… periods bordering on eternity.
Itachi, the older brother, was a sadistic bastard, by all accounts. Handsome, to be sure, with a tall, lean figure and long, dark hair that matched his merciless eyes. His face never displayed any emotion at all, but it was rumored that as he went in for the kill, the craziness in his eyes would stop his victims' hearts before the death strike ever did. He had killed his mother, father and most of the rest of his family at the surprisingly early age of thirteen, effectively clearing the road for himself and his younger brother to take over control of his father's empire and therefore, Konoha.
Sasuke, the little brother, didn't radiate evil… initially. His face was that of an angel. His voice, when it was heard, was once described as a spring breeze through a mountain meadow. How it came to be described as such is somewhat of a mystery, since most people only hear it before their deaths. Sasuke had admirers on every corner. Like his brother, Sasuke was tall, fair skinned and dark haired. His eyes were fathomless pits of charcoal black that sucked in anything and everyone around him. His short dark hair seemed to defy gravity in the back while midnight black bangs framed his pale face and piercing eyes like a priceless piece of art and many would argue that Sasuke's looks were just that. Sasuke had a way with people. Everyone wanted him, on some level, and Sasuke, being a genius, exploited that to its highest potential. His admirers and victims didn't even know what was happening until they stood at the pearly gates.
Looking at the two brothers, most people would say Itachi was the most terrifying, evilest and sadistic of the two. But, even Itachi would disagree with that statement.
While Itachi would rip out your eyes, Sasuke could make you rip out your own eyes and beg for more.
But, there was a rumor… something that might even be considered hope… that Sasuke Uchiha had one weakness…
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Kakashi growled and tried to pretend he didn't hear the insistent knock at his door. "Go away," he mumbled into his pillow and for a moment the knocking stopped. Kakashi smiled and prepared to drift back into blissful oblivion when he heard the front door of his home/office being kicked in.
"Hatake! Your door broke."
"Fucking shit…" Kakashi rolled out of bed and trekked into his living room, aka his office.
"Asuma! What the fucking hell are you doing in my goddamn apartment at," He turned his head wildly trying to found a clock, "Five forty in the bloody ass morning?!"
"You have got to be joking."
This came from a second visitor that Kakashi hadn't noticed while he was stumbling out of bed and arguing with his former friend and associate. The young man wore a pair of faded blue jeans, old sneakers and an oversized black hooded sweatshirt, the hood pulled up covering his hair and shadowing his face.
"Nope, this is him, your new watchdog." Asuma said lighting another cigarette.
Kakashi blinked, "Watchdog? What the hell?"
Asuma shut the door and threw the deadbolt since the handle was hanging precariously from the door. "You really should use your deadbolt, Hatake, it would prevent unwelcomed visitors."
Kakashi groaned as he watched the black haired man lead the mystery guest toward the couch before they both sat down.
"Oh, by all means, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink, perhaps? Coffee? Tea? Cyanide?"
Asuma chuckled darkly, "Still not a morning person?"
The mysterious guest huffed, "Still not a people person?"
Kakashi sat in a chair opposite the couch and took a moment to think. He hated mornings, but Asuma wasn't going away until he had his say. He forced his body to relax and take on an air of nonchalance, "To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Sarutobi, and might I ask who you have brought with you?"
"This guy is an idiot. I can tell already. I can't believe he isn't dead yet." The hooded man hissed, "You cannot expect me to believe that my life will be safe in his hands. The Uchihas will have me in no time flat and this whole little adventure will have been for NOTHING!"
"Calm down. Hatake is the best. Aren't you?" Asuma asked smugly. "Kakashi, I would like you to meet Naruto Uzumaki."
Gray eyes widened, "Uzumaki?"
The visitor pulled off his hood and revealed a man who looked barely older than a boy with blonde hair and impossibly blue eyes. Those eyes spoke volumes… mistrust, anger, exhaustion… just to name a few.
"I always thought that Naruto Uzumaki was a fairytale." Kakashi said blandly, taking in the young man's golden spikes and tan complexion, flawed by three thin scars on both of his cheeks, but truthfully, they didn't seem like flaws at all. They only added to the uniqueness of the man and if he truly was Naruto Uzumaki, then Kakashi could certainly see Uchiha's fascination.
"No," Asuma said sitting forward and his face getting serious, "Not a fairytale."
"You are all so fucking stupid." Naruto said and leaned his head back against the couch.
"He kind of has an attitude problem." Kakashi said flatly and Asuma's face cracked with humor for a moment before falling back into seriousness.
"Yeah, I figure you'll get along great."
Kakashi leaned back as well, "So, you are Sasuke Uchiha's 'Naruto'."
The blonde man said nothing, but he clinched his fist and Kakashi heard his teeth grind.
"Word has it that you are the only person Sasuke ever cared for… like a brother, maybe more."
Naruto didn't move as he spoke, "Like a brother… a best friend. An unbreakable bond. Nothing more."
"I heard that when you were both eight someone called you a monster and Sasuke ripped out the bully's tongue."
Naruto chuckled darkly, "Now, that's just silly," Naruto looked up and Kakashi's breath caught in his throat as hard, sapphire blue eyes drilled into his own, "We were twelve."
Asuma leaned forward, "Okay, you guys can do the get-to-know-you thing after I leave."
Kakashi broke eye contact with the blonde and immediately pinned his friend to his chair with angry gray eyes, "You're leaving? Surely, the fairy tale will be leaving with you?" His voice was like the finest poison, smooth, undetectable to the untrained palate and, of course, deadly.
"Naruto has turned himself in to testify against Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha, as well as, several other members of Akatsuki. I don't need to tell you that his information alone will be enough to take them all down." Asuma sighed and lit yet another cigarette, "You know what this could mean to Konoha, Kakashi."
"Why?" Kakashi said turning his attention back to the blonde, "Why now? If the gossip mill is to be believed, you removed yourself from the situation two years ago, disappearing from our radar, and Sasuke's, because you didn't want to have to choose sides… between your childhood buddy and hundreds of innocent lives." Kakashi didn't even attempt to hide his disgust at the man sitting in front of him. The silver haired man almost wished Naruto Uzumaki were a fairy tale and not a real person… Because who gave this man, this boy, the power to save them all on a whim.
Naruto, however, just stared at him coldly, "Hate me if you want. I made my decision from the choices I was given, a decision that allowed me to sleep at night. Sometimes, old man, you can't save the world or everyone in it."
"But you, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke's little whore, could have!" Kakashi hissed.
Anger mixed with guilt and sadness flashed through blue eyes before the man shuttered them, presenting cold, steel blues devoid of anything once again, "I am no one's whore, you son of a bitch, and you had better remember that." Naruto forced his body to relax, leaning back into the couch and crossing his legs, his blue eyes never leaving gray, "You'd be surprised at how easy it is to rip someone's tongue out… I know I was."
"Gentlemen!" Asuma interrupted, "Kakashi, I don't care where you take him and I don't want you to tell me," Kakashi made to interrupt but Asuma continued over him, "I just want him back and alive on October tenth." Naruto snorted and the two older men barely heard the grunted, 'That's fucking irony for you.'
"That's nearly two goddamn months." Kakashi said and ran a hand through his hair, "I quit ANBU, you bastard. Left it behind. Why are you even coming to me with this? What the hell am I going to do with Uzumaki for two fucking months?"
Asuma stood and nodded toward Naruto who gave a barely perceivable nod in return. He walked to the door and Kakashi followed him, "I know you quit but you are the best and honestly, everyone else is scared. Too scared to do anything, which is what the Akatsuki want. You are not scared and regardless of Uzumaki's motives or your own feelings, you'll do what's right because you know it is right. You're a good man and I need a good man. There you have it."
Kakashi leaned forward and hissed in the dark haired man's face, "How can you be so calm? That boy IS a monster. He could have stopped this two years ago… fuck, years before that. Do you know how many people would still be alive? HE would still be alive!"
"Kakashi, you don't know that. It seems easy to place all the blame at Uzumaki's feet, but keep in mind, the kid has become an urban legend in his own right. He cannot possibly have that much hold over Uchiha."
Kakashi looked at his friend with disbelief coursing through his eyes, "Fine. Two months. He'll be… alive."
"That's all I ask." Asuma reached into his jacket, pulled out a bulky envelope and handed it to the silver haired man before he unbolted the door, "Just some light reading and you really should consider getting this fixed."
"And fuck you too." Kakashi grinned but the humor of the action never reached his eyes and slammed the door, nearly clipping the leaving man's heels.
Kakashi turned and looked at Naruto. The young man was looking out of the window and seemed to be in a world of his own. Kakashi took the moment to notice how small the man looked… alone and misplaced. The blonde worried his lower lip and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair before rubbing the heels of his palms harshly against his eyes, "So, what happens now?" He whispered.
"Now, you answer one question and then we get the hell out of here." Kakashi moved until he was standing over the man, glaring down at him. "Why? Why are you back? Why now?"
Naruto sighed and stood, their chests almost touching, "I do not enjoy being intimidated, Mr. Hatake, so kindly back up." Kakashi didn't move and so Naruto shoved him hard, forcing the taller man to take several steps backward before finding his balance. "I came back because apparently the bastard misses me and sent me an invitation." The smile on the round face looked like the idea was pleasing to the blonde, but the tone the words were spoken in sent a shiver racing up Kakashi's spine, tripping warning wires inside his mind.
"An invitation? Then why are you here and not with him?"
"Let's just say I didn't like the invitation's design."
Kakashi wanted to ask more questions because quite honestly, none of this made since, but the blue eyes became blank slates and Naruto looked out the window. Kakashi decided getting them to safety was the first priority and then he would get his answers.
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His 'watchdog' had exited his bedroom in record time, grabbing Naruto by the sleeve and dragging him out of the building. "I do not need to be dragged around, asshole. I am more than capable of following."
The silver haired man merely looked at him and kept dragging. Kakashi was considerably taller than the blonde, by at least a head and his body was lean and muscular. His hair was short and chaotic, but the fact that it was silver, not gray, not white, but silver, made Naruto want to run his fingers through it, just to see if it was as cold as it looked. His skin as pale and his eyes were gray, like a storm building over an ocean. Naruto had to admit that the older man was attractive and now that he had his 'game face' on Naruto allowed himself to think that maybe he just might live through this, but then the cold, black eyes of his best friend flashed in his memory and he knew he was being just as naïve as the bastard always accused him of.
Blinking, Naruto realized they were in the basement garage of Kakashi's building and the man was shoving him into the heavily tinted backseat of a black med-sized SUV. Naruto didn't even get to protest before both of their small duffle bags were shoved into his chest and the door was slammed shut just as he moved his feet out of harm's way.
"Asshole." Naruto mumbled shoving the bags into the back and buckling his seat belt.
Kakashi got into the front seat, buckling his own belt. Looking in the rearview mirror he met Naruto's eyes. "Stay down."
Naruto rolled his eyes, unbuckling his seatbelt and shoved his own duffle bag into the corner of the seat like a pillow before lying down. Closing his eyes, he raised a lazy hand in the air, "Home, James."
Kakashi scowled and turned the ignition.
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The blonde had fallen asleep the minute his eyes closed and Kakashi drove in silence thinking about what he knew so far. Asuma seemed to believe the blonde didn't hold that much sway over the youngest Uchiha, but Kakashi would beg to differ.
After the mysterious Uzumaki disappeared, Sasuke lost all semblance of mercy and many people said his sanity as well. He tolerated no one and people unlucky enough to be born blonde began dying their hair just to avoid his notice. What had happened between the two?
Until that point, Naruto held a nearly unheard of place in the Akatsuki. He was rarely, if ever, seen outside the Uchiha mansion and as far as anyone knew, was never asked to dirty his own hands… ever. Sasuke kept him like a prized possession, treasured above all else. Why would Naruto ever leave in the first place?
"Fuck." Kakashi pulled the envelope from his jacket pocket and empty the contents onto the passenger's seat while still keeping one eye on the road. He saw physical records and descriptions on Naruto, as well as Sasuke and his brother. There were pictures and Kakashi picked up one depicting a smiling Naruto at perhaps age seven with an equally happy black haired boy. They sat side by side on a swing set, their small hands clasped.
Tossing that one aside, pale fingers pushed several papers aside to pick up another picture, this time the two boys stood among black clad mourners during a funeral. The shorter blonde placed a comforting hand on the dark haired boy's shoulder, his face obstructed by long, black bangs.
According to the rumors, after his parents' death, Sasuke Uchiha became unnaturally attached and protective of his small friend. Naruto was whisked away during the night from the orphanage he lived in and set up permanently in the Uchiha mansion. He never left the house alone. Sasuke was always at his side, ready to protect his friend. Kakashi snorted… yeah, by ripping out tongues.
Shifting through the mess on the seat, Kakashi came to what was probably the most recent picture, but still, two years old, having been taken before the blonde's disappearance. Sasuke stood in a ballroom looking regal in his black, tailored tuxedo and a gorgeous strawberry blonde hung off his arm. The couple stood on shallow steps and Uzumaki stood below them by two steps. Kakashi noticed that Sasuke's attention seemed to be completely on the younger man and Naruto's face was split into a breathtaking smile, his blue eyes sparkling with humor at the dark haired man.
"That was the last picture we took." Kakashi jerked sending the SUV into the next lane for a moment before gaining control. "You're awfully jumpy for a professional." Naruto said and lay back down on the back seat.
"Who's the girl?" Kakashi asked. How had the idiot startled him like that?
"Her name was Sakura." Naruto said quietly.
"Was?"
"That is how one refers to the dead." Naruto replied to the question.
"Uchiha didn't look like he'd be torn up if something happened to her." He heard Naruto's sharp intake of air before he continued, "No, it seems like he only had eyes for you."
"Look, asshole. Sasuke Uchiha is as straight as the day is long. He wasn't looking at me as an object of lust."
"But how were you looking at him, I wonder." Kakashi asked a look of innocence on his face. He was disappointed when Naruto only chuckled.
"Well, the man is damn fine. There is no denying that. And I, myself, tend to follow a more 'curved' road, as I am positive you understand," Gray eyes widened, "Oh please, don't try to hide it." Naruto said flatly, boredom evident in his voice. "But, regardless of my personal preferences, I never felt anything for Sasuke over deep friendship." Naruto sighed, "He is… was… my family."
"Then why are you…"
Naruto sighed, "I think I'll go back to sleep. Returning from exile has been remarkably tiring. Wake me when we get there." Kakashi saw Naruto roll until his face was turned to the back of the seat, effectively ending the conversation. A conversation the little prick had started himself, Kakashi ranted inside. "Oh, and try to stay in one lane, asshole."
Kakashi's eyes darted out the front window and he was indeed drifting into the other lane. He cursed, correcting his steering and Naruto's breathing even out once more.
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The drive there had taken another hour and in that time Kakashi had managed to stay on the road and look through the rest of the pictures in the folder. Quite honestly, there was not that many but, even so, Kakashi was mildly surprised with those they did have. Naruto, according to the rumors, should have been near-on inaccessible.
He turned off the main road onto a dirt road that had obviously not been used in sometime. Weeds and grass nearly hid the road and tree branches brushed harshly against the side of the SUV, scraping the windows and the paint. Kakashi grit his teeth and swore Sarutobi would be paying for a new paint job when this was over.
After twenty minutes on the narrow road, the trees and underbrush opened up on a small clearing, a two story log cabin planted directly in the middle taking up most of the space. The area was no less overgrown than the road leading to it and Kakashi knew what the fairytale would be doing during his stay here.
Coming to a stop, Kakashi twisted in his seat to wake up his guest. He could not believe the little idiot had slept through the attack of the tree branches they had just survived. He, himself, had the workings of a marvelous headache prickling dangerously behind his eyes.
Naruto had curled up around his duffle bag like it was teddy bear, holding it against his chest while his chin and legs tucked around either end. The young man looked so… innocent. Kakashi felt the anger build in his gut and thought for a moment that he should just kill the little bastard. It wouldn't solve the 'big problem' Sarutobi, and others like him, were trying to fix, but he'd send the blonde mop to Sasuke, wrapped in a bow, and Kakashi would 'sleep at night', as the blonde had so eloquently phrased earlier.
Naruto whimpered in his sleep, his eyebrows furrowed and thin sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead, "No… no… no, not Iru… BASTARD!!" Naruto sat straight up and Kakashi jumped back. Something fell from his hand and he looked down into the seat. His gun lay stark against the tan leather. When the hell had he taken that out?
"You should have done it," Naruto said quietly, "What were you waiting for?" Kakashi looked up and wished he hadn't. Watery sapphire eyes stared back at him. They were wide and dilated. Kakashi swallowed, Naruto was scared… terrified. Naruto ran a hand over his eyes and once the tan hand fall into his lap, all emotion was gone, "You should have done it when you had the chance. You'll never get it again. I do have things I'd like to live for."
With that the blonde grabbed his bag and pushed open the door. Crawling out, he hoisted the bag onto his shoulder and for a moment Kakashi would have said the bag carried the world the way the blonde's shoulder shagged. Naruto took a deep breath and stood up straight, turning toward the car he said, "Are you coming?"
Kakashi reached back to grab his own bag before lifting the folder. He frowned when one picture slipped out. Naruto's tan face filled the picture, a smile stretching across his face, lifting the thin scars slightly on either side of his face. It must have been windy because golden spikes flew into his face and eyes. Kakashi closed his own eyes before opening them once more. The man's blue eyes sparkled with warmth, humor and excitement. He was so full of… life.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Kakashi nearly jumped, but looked up into the same blue eyes as the picture he now held in his hand, but these eyes were cold, hurt… betrayed.
Naruto kept hitting the window, "I'd like to go in now, asshole."
Kakashi opened his door, getting out before closing it behind him. Naruto turned and once more walked toward the house.
The thing was, that in all the pictures, Naruto was happy. Hyper. Carefree. The man that Kakashi had met this morning was none of those things. Glancing at the picture once more, Kakashi wondered what it would be like to have the fairytale look at him that way.
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Pushing open the door, the two men entered the cabin. Kakashi switched on the lights and was happy to see his phone call had gotten things started when the lights flickered on. Dust covered every square inch of the entry way that opened up to the second floor. Directly in front of them was a large picnic table on wood floors. The wood floors continued into the kitchen and breakfast nook on the right. To the left corner, a living room was sunken in one step below the entry level. Straight ahead of them, a wide stair case lead to the second story, the upstairs hallway visible from the first floor. Naruto could see three closed doors.
"There is a bathroom downstairs, below the stairs and one upstairs as well. The bedroom to the right is mine, leaving you the one to the left," Kakashi explained as he walked in further, throwing his bag on the table, "The most important place for you, Uzumaki, will be this closet right here." Kakashi said cheerfully and Naruto felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up in apprehension. Stepping closer to the taller man he watched while Kakashi flamboyantly threw open the door to reveal the closet's contents.
"Oh hell no." Naruto said seeing the dusty buckets, cleaning supplies and decrepit mops and brooms.
"Consider yourself Cinderella," Kakashi said patting the younger man on the shoulder, the smile on his face so fake it hurt to look at, "I'll be securing the perimeter."
The man nearly skipped toward the backyard and Naruto slammed the closet shut. Dust swirled around and Naruto sneezed violently three times before the dust settled. Rubbing his eyes and nose, Naruto growled and opened the door. His allergies wouldn't let him live in a dust pit for two months and Hatake, the asshole, wasn't going to do it. Growling, Naruto grabbed the yellow bucket and began flinging supplies inside.
"It's worth it," Naruto mumbled, "Two months… it's worth it."
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Kakashi's check of the perimeter took him onto the back porch where he tested the 'integrity' of the hanging bench and read his favorite book. Occasionally he'd hear the water turn on and off, the shifting of furniture and his favorite, the colorful expletives that Naruto used to describe his ongoing cleaning.
Several hours, a snooze and many chapters in his book later, Kakashi figured his perimeter check had been successful and strolled back into the cabin. He stopped in the doorway, amazed at the change in the house. The first floor was entirely dust free and by the smell, clearly PineSol-ed. Listening carefully, Kakashi followed the noise in the kitchen to find Naruto standing over the hexagon shaped island assembling sandwiches. The look on the blonde's face was relaxed and Kakashi noted that the idiot had showered and changed, now wearing black track pants and a white t-shirt. His blonde hair was damp and still sticking up in all directions. He hummed quietly to himself and turned toward the cabinet. Kakashi's gray eyes widened when Naruto took down two plates and positioned the sandwiches along with cut up fresh vegetables.
"Come on, asshole. I can't imagine how exhausted you must be after your little nap, oh I mean, important security detail. Wash up and let's eat."
Kakashi blinked and stepped into the kitchen. Naruto nodded at him and walked back to the table with the two plates. Kakashi washed his hands before taking his own seat.
"Where did the food come from?" Naruto asked before taking a bite of carrot.
"I made some calls before we left my apartment." The silver haired man said picking up his sandwich and nodded toward the blonde, "Thanks."
"Is that safe? Not that I don't trust you," The blue eyes clearly said 'I don't trust you', "But can you be sure…"
"Yes." Kakashi answer was harsh, "I know who I can and can't trust, Uzumaki." Gray eyes hardened making it clear Naruto wasn't on that list.
"You know, I've heard of you before," Naruto said quietly almost like he wasn't sure he wanted to talk about the subject at all.
"That's nice." Kakashi said flatly.
Naruto nodded as though he wasn't listening to Kakashi at all and just talking to himself, "Yes, twice actually, now that I think about it. Once when I was younger… before big brother… Itachi, killed them." Kakashi's eyes widened and he swallowed his food with difficulty, "Obito mentioned a friend of his. He called you his Copy Cat. He told us stories about the two of you in school. Sasuke and I used to reenact the stories he told of your adventures…"
Kakashi slamming his hand on the table stopped Naruto's words. Blue eyes blinked.
"The second time was from Iruka…" This time Naruto stopped because Kakashi's hand was wrapped tightly around his throat squeezing. Naruto eyes grew wide and his hand came up to grasp Kakashi's but the blonde did not struggle. He just waited.
Kakashi wanted to kill him… more so because the young man didn't struggle, just sat there, not breathing, waiting. Waiting for Kakashi to decide whether he lived or died. Whether he was to be Uzumaki's guard or murderer. Just waiting.
Kakashi released him and Naruto fell backward off the bench, scrambling away until he hit the wall, gasping for air and holding his throat, never taking his eyes off of the man before him. Kakashi watched him as Naruto tried to talk, tears streaming down his cheeks in the effort, "He said…" Naruto's throat convulsed and Naruto whimpered pointing at Kakashi, "… best friend." More pointing, "His best friend."
Naruto pulled himself up using the wall and walked backward toward the stairs, keeping Kakashi, who hadn't moved from his seat, in sight as he went up to his room. After the door closed, Kakashi heard a sound that could only be the dresser being moved in front of the door.
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Kakashi sat in silence for some time before slowly clearing the table. He noticed that Naruto had hardly touched his food. Had he eaten anything at all? Kakashi silently cursed himself for giving a damn.
Knowing that it would be useless to resist onslaught of memories, Kakashi let them wash over him like waves. Iruka had been his best friend. Younger than him, Iruka had followed Kakashi and Obito around like a duckling when they were in school. Whenever Kakashi would try to brush him off, the brown haired boy would look at him with his soft brown eyes and Kakashi would grumble and include the boy in whatever adventure he and Obito had planned.
As they grew, Iruka became less of an annoyance and more of a lifeline. When Kakashi's father had killed himself, Iruka allowed Kakashi to as moody and broody as he wanted while others, such as Obito, questioned his feelings and perhaps sanity constantly. Kakashi had breathed a relief when he would open the door to his now empty house to see the gentle smile of the young boy.
When Itachi massacred his family, Iruka and Kakashi had mourned the death of their friend together. As soon as Kakashi could, he joined the ANBU, supposedly, a non-corrupted organization based on justice with an elite group handpicked by its leader, the Hokage, to covertly bring about the end of the Uchihas.
When Kakashi had been selected, he approached his friend thinking there was no one he would rather have on his side. Iruka's refusal had come as a great shock. The brown haired man had been following Kakashi into everything his whole life and now, this… the most important thing Kakashi had ever done… and Iruka denied him. When Kakashi asked for his reasoning, Iruka sighed and told him he couldn't join the group in good conscience. Kakashi felt the burning angry flare through his chest and yelled at his quiet friend. How could he not? What about Obito and any number of their friends who had be hurt, disappeared or had simply been killed on the whim of the Uchihas.
To Kakashi's surprise, Iruka stood strong in his conviction and begged Kakashi to let it go. Kakashi threw his hands up and although their friendship survived, the strain of secrets and hurts hounded them like a shadow.
That is until Kakashi had been called off a surveillance mission, still clad in his ANUB uniform, to identify the body of his friend. A single bullet through his brain listed as cause of death. Rumors around the station were that Sasuke Uchiha himself had held the gun.
Kakashi scrapped the sandwich and vegetables into the trash. Well, mystery solved. Apparently, Iruka's 'conscience' came equipped with blonde hair and clear blue eyes. Kakashi stilled. Iruka had died two months ago. Was the fairytale's reemergence somehow connected? Had Sasuke killed Iruka to force Naruto back?
Drying the last of the dishes, Kakashi switched off the lights and made his way up the staircase wearily. It had been a long and surprising day. As he made the trek to the second floor, he let his hand trail up the log banister. The fairytale had done a really good job of cleaning the house. There wasn't a scrap of dust anywhere and he knew that in the daylight, the floors would probably shine. Pausing at the top of the stairs, Kakashi shifted to the left to listen for any movement from Naruto's room. Hearing nothing, Kakashi could only assume the kid was a silent sleeper or not actually sleeping. Kakashi tried to remember how much he had slept in the car, but that didn't really matter. The blonde had looked just as dead on his feet at six o'clock in the morning as he did when they arrived at the cabin. Come to think of it, the idiot looked like he hadn't slept in days.
Sighing, Kakashi turned to the right and headed toward his own bedroom. He pushed on his door, smirking because even that had been dusted and polished. Naruto was certainly serious about his cleaning…
The smirk vanished as he took in his room. Dust, cobwebs and yellowed sheets covered every surface. In the middle of the room, a bucket, broom and map innocently sat in the dim lights. On the floor, written with flourish in the dust were the words, 'Have fun, asshole' with a swirl symbol in place of the little twit's name.
"Fuck!" Kakashi hollered and kicked the dented bucket across the room. A muffled giggle was heard from down the hall.
Kakashi closed his eyes… not asleep then. Sighing, he picked up the broom.
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Kakashi blinked open sleep filled eyes and glared at the ceiling while he listened to the dresser screech across the wooden floors in Naruto's room. Turning to the side, he noted that it was still twilight outside, the sun barely peeking over the horizon.
What the hell was wrong with this kid?
The creak of the door opening and quietly shutting let him know that the fairytale was now on the prowl. Heavy lids slid over gray eyes and Kakashi reminded himself that it was just two months… less than two months…
He must have dozed off then because the next time he opened his eyes it was to the sound of the bathroom door opening and the faintest hum of some childhood lullaby. Kakashi sat up and rubbed his face with both hands before staring at the ceiling. All the songs in the world and Naruto sings himself lullabies. The older man swung his feet to the floor as Naruto's footsteps disappeared down the staircase.
After a shower, Kakashi strolled into the kitchen only to stop at the plate of eggs, bacon and toast left on the island for him. A glance around the kitchen found the fairytale tucked into the breakfast nook, a similar plate on the table before him but the food looking barely touched. His knees were bent and on the chair, a sketch pad rested on his knees, his hand moving over the paper making gentle scratching noises in the silence of the morning. His blonde head was tilted, a sliver of pink tongue peeking out of the dusty rose colored lips.
Kakashi moved from the door frame and blue eyes met his own.
"Oh, morning," Naruto said absently and his eyes once more fell onto the paper. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration before he huffed, closing the pad and letting his feet fall to the floor. Once again, the younger man turned his whole attention to Kakashi and saw the silver haired man staring at the plate on the island.
"There's nothing wrong with it. I just made too much," Shrugging, Naruto dragged his own plate back toward himself and picked up the toast, nibbling as he watched the taller man closely. Kakashi nodded and took his plate before sitting across from the blonde.
They ate in silence for sometime before Kakashi looked up to see Naruto staring out the window. His face held no emotion but his shoulders and back were stiff.
"You can relax," Kakashi said and took a drink of coffee… which was surprisingly good, just like the food… dammit.
"Right," Naruto said still looking out the window, "That seems smart. You've tried to kil… um, hurt me twice and at any moment the Uchihas could be knocking at the door. I have no idea why I can't relax." The sarcasm did not go unnoticed.
"Nothing is going to happen to you, idiot. I trust everyone who knows that we are here. They would never…"
"You can't know that." Naruto interrupted, fathomless blue eyes staring at Kakashi.
"Nothing 'they' could do would break them."
"I'm sure, but what if they do it to their sister, brother…" Naruto took a deep breath, "Father figure," his voice dropped to a whisper, "best friend." Gray eyes snapped to blue. "What then?"
"Iruka is dead," Kakashi's face and voice held nothing, "I identified his body two months ago."
"I know." Naruto said and brought his legs back up to his chest, his chin resting on his knees.
"How is that?" Breakfast was forgotten as Naruto closed his eyes and Kakashi was surprised when the young man smiled gently.
"We were five when we met him. He was at the park and I had fallen. I was bleeding a lot… at least it seemed that way to us and Sasuke said he would get help. He found Iruka and dragged him to my side. Iruka was so gentle and he made it better. Stopping the bleeding and getting us to laugh. He took us home to Mrs. Uchiha who asked him to stay for dinner. I am sure now that he knew who the Uchihas were and was uncomfortable being there, but I begged him to stay and he did. After dinner, Iruka took me back to the orphanage. He lived just down the road," Kakashi nodded, vaguely remembering the rundown building that seemed bursting with children, "I made him promise that I would see him again. After that, he came every day, either to the orphanage or he would meet us at the park to play. He stayed with us, played with us, held us when we cried.
"After Itachi… well, you know… Sasuke," Naruto paused and Kakashi looked up to see him opening and closing his fists in agitation, "Sasuke changed. He didn't want to play anymore. I didn't live at the orphanage anymore, but Iruka still kept his promise. He convinced Itachi to hire him as our tutor. He wasn't much older than Itachi, but I think we looked at him as a father… since neither of us had one… we… I loved him as one anyway."
Naruto shifted off the chair and gathered both of their breakfast plates. Kakashi noted that Naruto's was barely touched. The blonde set them on the counter and then turned around, leaning against it. "We grew up and Iruka was no longer needed. Sasuke knew how important he was to me… at the time, I honestly believed he was important to both of us… and so, Iruka was still allowed to visit."
Blonde lashes fell slowly onto tan cheekbones and Naruto's fingers gripped the counter top until they turned white. "After I left," Kakashi knew he'd pulled something, his head having snapped so quickly to look at the fairytale, "I didn't have contact with anyone. No one knew were we… I was." Gray eyes narrowed, pushing the slip into the back of his mind for future thought, "About six weeks ago I received a computer disk. There were no markings and it hadn't come through the mail. I knew immediately who it was from." Blue eyes met his own and Kakashi couldn't stop the intake of breath. Horror, sadness and guilt swirled like a hurricane and the silver haired man felt nearly overwhelmed.
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Naruto held the disk case loosely in his trembling fingers before walking toward his desk. Sitting in the leather seat he took several deep breaths before popping open the case and inserting the disk into the drive. The computer made a gentle whirling sound that Naruto wished would go on forever. He knew that whatever this disk held, it would not be pleasant.
The media player flashed to life on the screen and Naruto watched the innocent line across the bottom grow as the player buffered the incoming imagine. Unable to wait, or failing to come up with any reason to stall, Naruto clicked on the play button and forced himself to watch the image.
A brown haired man sat in the middle of a dark room, tied to a chair, his head bent down toward his chest. At a noise, the man started and lifted his head. Naruto had already recognized Iruka, but seeing his battered face, dried blood on his temple and leaking from the corner of his mouth, Naruto still took in a sharp breath only to release it as an agonized sob.
The camera was zoomed in on Iruka's head and upper torso so when another person walked behind him, Naruto was unable to make out who it was, beyond their choice of black slacks and what looked like a black, button down shirt as apparel.
"You know why you're here." The disembodied voice came from the man in black and Naruto didn't even realize that tears had started to trail down his scarred cheeks. Oh god, please… please… no.
Iruka's eyes glanced at his tormentor and then toward the camera. "He'll hate you." The older man's voice was raspy from disuse… or, and Naruto cringed when the scenarios ran through his mind, over use.
A hand appeared behind Iruka and pale fingers wrapped almost soothingly around his shoulder. In a shuffle of movement, Sasuke Uchiha's angelic face appeared next to Iruka's ear. Naruto shucked in another breath, the contrast between the tired, beaten face of Iruka and the pale, flawless complexion of his best friend was painful and breathtaking for the blonde who hadn't seen either man in nearly two years.
Sasuke smirked but his black eyes were emotionless, "I am counting on it." He whispered and then stood up. The camera zoomed out until Naruto could see Sasuke standing next to Iruka. Slipping an arm behind his back, Sasuke's hand came back holding a black gun and he raised it without a word to hold against Iruka's blood stained temple.
Naruto leaned forward in his chair. He could barely make out the screen through his tears and his pale lips moved constantly although no sound escaped.
No…no… no… no.
Iruka turned his head, looking over the barrel of the gun and directly into Sasuke's eyes, "Why?"
Naruto rubbed his eyes and watched the interaction closely. Sasuke stared right back into those questioning brown eyes and Iruka must have seen something Naruto couldn't make out because he closed his eyes and nodded, turning his head back around so that the cold metal touched the side of his face once more.
"I understand."
BANG!
Naruto screamed, his entire body jumping, "Iruka!"
The brown head fell once more against Iruka's chest, never to rise again. The camera angle changed once more and now Naruto had a clear view of Sasuke's face and his dead eyes.
"Time to come home, dobe."
The scene paused, Sasuke's face frozen as he looked directly into Naruto's soul through the conduit of horror filled blue eyes and Naruto fell to his knees.
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Kakashi watched while Naruto tried to steady his breathing. The idiot had been near hyperventilation throughout the telling of his story. The blonde turned, his hands braced against the counter while he forced air in and out of his lungs.
Realizing that his whole body was on edge, Kakashi also took a deep breath and made his body to relax in the chair. To an outside observer if looked as though he hadn't a care in the world when in actuality, he wanted to murder Sasuke Uchiha with his bare hands or gather the fairytale in his arms, protect him… maybe more. Shaking his head, Kakashi realized he couldn't say which he'd rather do first.
"And so," Naruto began and grey eyes looked up to see that Naruto still wasn't looking at him, tan fingers gripping the counter like a vise, "I made plans to return. It took longer than I thought. I couldn't let them know I was coming and I knew I needed the ANBU's help. Before I would have asked Iruka but…" The breaths picked up but Naruto's fingers turned white from the severity of their grip and his breathing calmed.
"I finally got in touch with Asuma and he led me to you." Naruto turned around, his arms crossed defensively over his chest. "Now, I wait to see who wins… you or the Uchihas. If by some insane miracle I am still alive in six weeks," The fairytale shrugged, the disbelief clear on his face, "Then I'll stand to the left of a Supreme Court judge and swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth… so help me god… when I have absolutely zero belief in any such character. I will be the reason that my best friend, and the only family I have even known, is arrested and most probably killed."
Kakashi stood but didn't approach the young man who tensed visibly at the movement. "Iruka believed in god…" Kakashi didn't but, he wasn't practiced at this comforting thing.
"I don't believe in a god that would orphan two little boys… allow them to become precious to one another… only to have them standing on different sides of a battle bigger than we ever were but that will end, for good or bad, with one of our deaths."
Naruto pushed away from the counter, walking swiftly by a silent Kakashi. The older man heard Naruto's footsteps echo up the stairs and his door open and close.
Head held low, Kakashi respected the silence until he heard the dresser slide across the floor.
"Fuck!"
Why did it matter if he had the fairytale's trust? Why did he give a shit? Slouching back into his chair, a pale hand ran over his tired face. It didn't matter why. He just did.
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