Looking in the Nooks and Crannies
Hi! As a forewarning to any who may be concerned after this chapter, I neither want to bash any characters or make them all powerful. I like Team Seven, I want them to grow around Naruto too, hopefully both Sakura's and Kakashi's perspectives don't bore or take away from the story. No pairings! I'm not a fan of Romance. Also, I totally made up some legal stuff, again...
Thank you to those still reading! I apologize for any gross misconduct in grammar or spelling, English is my first language and I still suck at it. I beta for myself.
Chapter 4: Decisions to Be Made
Kakashi headed home with the sealed scroll in hand, Akifumi had covered everything, there was even a small note addressing the scroll to the council. He could deliver it now and have Naruto stay with him for another week until he could place him somewhere. In a week all of this could stop being his problem. Kakashi side tracked, feet taking him not to his apartment but leading him to the memorial stone. He knelt down in front of it, the scroll still clasped in one hand.
He seemed to sink in on himself, mind trying to resolve the problem of his student in his mind, but continuously returning to the face of his sensei. He had the choice to do nothing, let the council receive the scroll and watch them then do nothing. Naruto was fine, he was strong, he could survive on his own.
Kakashi scoffed at himself, Naruto was not fine, the boy had some extenuating medical problems and had just been homeless a few days earlier. What was Kakashi's responsibility in this though? Naruto wasn't his child, there were plenty of other children who were orphans. Sasuke lived on his own and Kakashi wasn't expected to jump up and adopt the child. But this was his sensei's child, and Naruto was suffering. Kakashi let his gaze fall from from the stone to the grass growing around it.
He didn't need to do anything now, he had time, precious time to think and make a decision. Rising to his feet again, Kakashi headed once again to his apartment. In the face of difficult thoughts, it was often easier to do something that involved less emotional investment. Kakashi moved through his apartment, headed for the kitchen. He set the scroll on the table and then moved over to the fridge.
Opening it he looked at what he had picked up from the store earlier today. He had had to shop at a smaller store, he refused to enter Mitsuwa's. Kakashi set the eggplant, green onions and pogi-kimchi on the counter and then stared at it. Akifumi had given him a scroll with foods and instructions, right? He realized belatedly that he probably should've looked at the scroll before going shopping.
First things first, a pan.
Twenty minutes later Kakashi was gasping for air, towel being whipped back and forth at his attempt at an eggplant, kimchi, and green onion stir fry that had literally gone up in flames. He grabbed the handle of the pan and shoved it into the sink and turned the water on. A great plume of acrid smelling vapor billowed up from the pan with a sharp sizzle. Kakashi rushed to the kitchen window and threw it open.
Several minutes later and the situation was relatively under control. Kakashi looked sadly at the mess that was now his kitchen. Apparently the Copy-ninja couldn't copy every technique, he'd been defeated by a pan and stove, the cooking jutsu was not easy. It looked like they were having take out tonight.
Kakashi looked at the time, it had been around 6:00 pm when he had started, it was now nearly eight. He frowned, wondering where Naruto was. No formal curfew had been set, in fact no rules whatsoever had been discussed. At the time, Kakashi hadn't thought it necessary since he didn't plan on Naruto staying very long. Kakashi peered at the sink and blackened pan and then turned to take in the array of dishes he'd made when trying to figure out how to cut up eggplant. He could wash his dishes, or-.
The sun hadn't gone down yet and Kakashi felt the sunlight on his back, warmth seeping pleasantly through the fabric of his vest. Looking for his missing genin seemed much more preferable than facing the monstrosity in his kitchen. Now to figure out where Naruto was. Kakashi made his way along the tree lined path that lead to the Hokage mountain and the Hokage tower. Near it was the academy. Class was out, but a good amount of teachers were still there. Kakashi made his way into the building and eventually made his way to a classroom.
He entered without knocking and was surprised to find Umino Iruka in the middle of eating. The man set the box of take out down and jumped to his feet, moving over to the higher ranking ninja.
"Hatake-san, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Umino sounded far from pleased, and was making a marked effort to be polite.
Hatake admitted that they had very different views when it came to teaching, especially when it came to teaching Naruto.
"I was wondering if you've seen Naruto."
Iruka blinked in surprise and the passive aggressive hostility fell away.
"No, I haven't. I actually haven't seen much of him in the last month, between his missions and me being busy with the academy, I don't think I've spoken with him since the day of the Hokage's kokubetsu-shiki."
Iruka paused, looking around the room, face drawn with weariness.
"I've been meaning to, but-" Iruka stopped short and his gaze wandered around the room again.
Kakashi could see a cot with rumpled blankets to the side of the desk and a mirror hung on the wall while on the desk there was a cup that held a razor. It seemed that Iruka was still living at the academy.
"Arigato, Umino-san," Kakashi said, moving to leave, but Iruka stepped forward.
"Has he been okay? Is that why you're looking for him? Something's wrong?"
Kakashi was struck by the intense look of worry on the man's face.
"Of course, Naruto is fine, I just needed to speak with him about a mission," he smiled reassuringly, lying through his teeth.
It didn't have the effect Kakashi wanted, as the academy teacher didn't turn away.
"Have his missions been going well? I usually look over them, but I haven't had the time."
Kakashi kept on his smile, "He's been doing well."
Iruka's look of worry didn't leave but instead it seemed to become more pronounced as he drew back and contemplated Kakashi.
"Well," he said softly, "tell him to stop by. I've missed him and I'm worried."
He seemed like he wanted to say something more, but checked himself. Kakashi gave a nod and left.
The next place he tried was the top of the Hokage mountain, he knew that the boy often spent time there. It was absent of the genin. After that he went to Ichiraku's. The young woman, Ayame, was working the stand.
"What can I get you?" She asked with a kind smile.
Kakashi didn't sit down and Ayame looked at him with polite attention.
"I'm looking for Naruto."
Ayame's face split into a smile, losing some of her professional formality.
"Oh, I haven't seen Naruto-kun today, he hasn't been by. But I think you might find him at work, he told me he is usually there at this hour."
When Kakashi didn't leave, Ayame continued.
"I don't know exactly where that would be, he never told me, but he did give me his boss' name, Nakamura I think, I hope that helps."
Kakashi gave a small bow and left the ramen stand, mind trying to think if he knew anyone named Nakamura, and if he did, whether or not they would hire a genin. He came up blank. Sighing, Kakashi weighed using chakra to summon his ninken. It seemed rather drastic and Kakashi let out a troubled sigh. In light of his choices, it would also seem moot. Leaving Naruto alone would mean that the boy would probably still have to rely on getting money from whatever job this was.
His reasoning was dwindling, the only thing that stood in the way of him doing the best thing, the right thing, was fear. Fear of pain, fear of failure, fear of facing memories that haunted him. Kakashi strolled back down the hard packed streets of Konoha, dirt that had been compacted by the thousands and millions of footsteps villagers took each day. He was twenty six yet he felt like the hundred year old cedars which grew around the training grounds, scarred from being hacked each day and mutilated by past injuries. He had accepted that he was a selfish man, he had always stood by and done little. Naruto deserved so much more, deserved a mother and father and happiness. Who said though, that Kakashi was responsible for any of that?
A chuunin landed in front of him, short dark brown hair, thousand yard stare. It was one of Danzo's aides. Kakashi paused, body held in an aloof manner while his mind studied the person before him intently.
"Hatake-san," she spoke, voice blank, body bending in a stiff formal bow.
A scroll was proffered and Kakashi took it. The chuunin disappeared. Kakashi sprung to the rooftops, heading at a leisurely place back to his home. He opened the scroll and began reading. He was a few sentences in when he stopped abruptly; tall, scarecrow figure illuminated by the moon upon the Konohagakure rooftops. Kakashi stared in disbelief at the words written on the page.
Uzumaki Naruto is assigned the housing in the Eighth compound, apartment #219, supplemented in lieu of the recent attack and the loss of housing for shinobi.
Order effective at the time message is received by Jounin sensei.
A 48 hour grace period is allotted for transference to living unit.
-Council of Konoha, Housing and Realty Branch
The short, harsh signature of one Shimura Danzo followed the message. Despite its brevity, Kakashi found himself reading and rereading it. The implications did not sit well with him. Naruto within the clutches of the Shinobi of Darkness. The meaningful glances at the meeting and Danzo lingering made sense now. The man had heard their conversation and had seen an opportunity.
Kakashi rolled the scroll back up and continued on his way. The time had passed once again, and it was nearing ten at night. He landed in his kitchen with a soft thud, the faint smell of burnt food still lingering in the air. Naruto wasn't home yet. He felt worry niggle in his brain and stomach, but brushed it quickly away. This didn't keep him though from sitting in the chair, eyes glued to the clock and the kitchen window. He totally wasn't waiting for a little orange clad boy to jump through the window, he was just prolonging kitchen cleanup.
It wasn't until three am in the morning that Naruto came in, the front door opening quietly and shutting without a sound. Kakashi listened intently as nearly silent footsteps came from the hallway and Naruto appeared around the corner, a rough knapsack drawn around his shoulders. The boy looked exhausted, face weary and lines drawn in it that Kakashi often only saw on world weary men and women. Eyes that were usually lighting up the room were shadowed and Kakashi felt a mix of surprise and grief.
Naruto's eyes widened comically as he looked up and saw his teacher. A large fake smile was slapped on his face and he raised an arm, rubbing the back of his head in his usual nervous tic.
"He-hey, whatcha doing up, Kaka-sensei?"
Kakashi felt an inexplicable amount of anger and worry explode, something which had been brewing without his knowledge.
"Where were you? It's very late Naruto, it's not safe. You shouldn't be out this late."
Naruto frowned, "Hey sensei, what's this about? I can stay out however late I want!"
Kakashi again felt the inexplicable frustration rise.
"It's dangerous Naruto! What if you got attacked by enemy nin!"
The statement sounded ludicrous once it fell out of Kakashi's mouth but, he was too plagued by a bunch of emotions he hadn't quite recognized yet, to care.
The anger on Naruto's face grew along with pain.
"Why do you care?!" He screamed, fists clenched.
"Why do you suddenly care!? It doesn't make sense! You keep asking all these questions! Asking about who hurt me and if I feel alright! Pretending like I matter and that you think I'm worth all this effort! Stop it! Because you're going to leave me alone and it'll just be easier if you don't even try!" Naruto's eyes were watering and he looked like he was about to cry.
His chest was heaving and slowly, he calmed down, blinking rapidly to keep from crying as his teacher didn't respond. It was dead silent.
"You didn't care before, no one's ever cared before, why now?" Naruto finished softly, eyes flickering anxiously away from his teacher's gaze.
Kakashi was speechless, unable to form anything in his mind let alone his mouth to answer his student. He didn't say anything and Naruto lifted his head once again, guarded eyes looking at his teacher probingly. When Kakashi didn't respond Naruto's eyes went blank, lingering for a moment before looking to the ground once again. His clenched fists relaxed and the fight drained out of him.
"Good night, sensei," Naruto spoke quietly, tone dead and empty.
He turned to go, moving to his own room. Kakashi stood stock still in the kitchen, frozen as his mind played catch up. He had let his emotions get the better of him, let them lead while his brain took a back seat. A few moments passed and then it clicked, Kakashi had been worried about Naruto, beyond just as his student and in a way as if Naruto had been his child.
It took Kakashi a while to move from his place in the kitchen. When he did, he stepped quietly through the hallway and paused at Naruto's doorway. Opening the door he looked in. The window was open, light spilling into the room from a full moon. He could see where Naruto was curled in on himself, arms wrapped around his middle. Kakashi stepped further into the room. There were drying tear tracks on Naruto's face, his eyes puffy and red while his breathing was still slightly congested.
Kakashi leaned forward, drawing the blankets up and around the boy, tucking him in. Moving to the window, he shut it and pulled the curtains together. He turned once again to stare at the supine form of his student before he quietly exited the room, shutting the door silently behind him.
He hesitated at the door, not moving on, eyes staring at stained pinewood.
"I do care," he whispered, letting out a pained sigh.
A moment later he turned to his own room.
Morning crested much too early, rays of sunshine bursting through Kakashi's window. He groaned, rolling away from the bright light. He should've closed his curtains last night. Curse words rolled through his mind and he managed to insult the lineage of the sun and accuse it of having fecal related characteristics.
He threw his blankets off in resignation, getting up and showering. He dressed in the steamed bathroom and headed out, drying his hair with a simple ninjutsu. He entered the kitchen and was surprised to see Naruto at the sink, clearing away the catastrophe of yesterday with soap and warm water. Ah, a little cleaning angel. Kakashi was too tired for his thoughts to meditate on the events of the night before. He sat at the table and watched with drooping eyes as his student pulled off the yellow kitchen gloves Kakashi didn't even know he owned.
He closed his eyes and when he opened them again a cup of tea and a mug of coffee were being placed in front of him. Kakashi looked at Naruto.
The boy had a large smile splayed on his face but it was fragile, the painful emotions of yesterday lingering behind a mask.
"Eh, sensei, no wonder you're so lazy, can't even make a cup of tea."
Kakashi frowned, "That's not being lazy, it's being-" he broke off as he realized the line of thought. Instead he eye smiled, sweat dropping as his student looked at him in exasperation.
Naruto moved over to the stove. "And what did these poor dishes ever do to you? It's no wonder you're a scarecrow, and imagine, putting pogi-kimchi and eggplant together to make a stir fry! Even I know not to do that and I live off of ramen! I never knew you were this much of a baka, sensei!"
"Maa, that's too far Naruto," Kakashi whined in exaggerated injury.
The boy came back over with more ramen and two pairs of chopsticks. He set them down and snapped apart the two wood pieces.
"Itadakimasu!" He yelled with a bright grin before setting into the food at a ravenous pace.
Kakashi actually ate this time, enjoying the quiet communion of eating with another person. Since waking up he'd been feeling a strange little bug in his head, prompting him to irrational decisions, its influence growing as the day progressed. He would blame the influence of the Yamanaka for how foreign it was, but this was all him. Hatake Kakashi was going to do something spontaneous today and it was going to make certain people upset. A smile grew on his face, a feeling of satisfaction sinking in. After last night, he had gone to bed and thought, mind never stopping in a horrible roll of right and wrong and judging the best course of action. That much thinking and little to no sleep had left him with a firm idea of exactly what he was going to do. Yes, Kakashi was planning on surprising a lot of people and he couldn't wait to see their faces when he did.
"We're taking the day off today, no missions and no training."
Naruto looked up in surprise, frowning a moment later.
"Eh?" He said, confusion filling in his face as he took in his sensei's strange order.
Kakashi smiled, dropping a hand onto his student's head to gently ruffle his hair. Naruto ducked down a little, smile flickering as he looked in concern at his teacher.
"You go have fun, I'll tell Sakura and Sasuke that they have the day off, we'll do work tomorrow."
Naruto blinked. Kakashi drew out a small bag of coins and plopped it into his student's lap.
"Buy some dango and daifuku, I hear the stalls down by the Akimichi compound are very good and not particular to customers."
Naruto was staring at him like he was crazy. Kakashi silently snickered, wondering where this spontaneity was coming from. Kushina's ghost must be haunting him. He jumped out the window leaving his bewildered student behind.
It was a wonder with how often he'd been in the mission room in the last few days. Tomomi smiled brightly at seeing him and gave a little wave.
"If you keep coming around this much Hatake-san, someone is going to start wondering about us," Tomomi teased.
Kakashi merely gave a small nod in response, shrugging his shoulders at the light hearted teasing.
"There are some papers I need," he said.
Tomomi leaned forward in interest. As he told her a smile spread across her face and a look of approval was pointed his way.
"Took you long enough, Kakashi," she said with a bright grin, then she let out a squeal,
"You just helped me win a bet with Izumi in accounting, 3000 yen here I come."
She got up and went through the curtain, coming back minutes later with some papers in hand. She handed them to him and gave him a conspiratorial wink.
"You tell me if you need help filling those out."
Kakashi shook his head and grabbed a clipboard and pen. It took some time, but eventually the paperwork was filled out. Kakashi smiled down at it before standing and placing the clipboard back on the desk.
With the papers in hand he made his way to the council room. He knew that they were in a meeting now, one that involved the clan heads. It was the perfect audience. He opened the doors, stepping in as if he was supposed to be there. A hush fell over the room as he raised a hand and gave out his complementary 'yo'.
Utatane gave him a sharp look and the heads of the clans stared. Kakashi felt a sense of triumph at the wary look Danzo was shooting his way. The only one who seemed to be unaffected by his surprise appearance was Nara Shikaku and that was because the man was sleeping with his eyes open, one of the most valued jutsus of the Nara clan.
Kakashi approached the three council members and placed the papers he'd so meticulously filled out on the desk, right in front of Utatane who sat in the middle.
"Within the 48 hour period, I hope, Danzo-sama?" He said, directing an eye smile at the man.
The intent of the question as a jibe was not missed by the rest of the room, but Danzo was the only one who understood it. Kakashi wondered again if Kushina was possibly possessing him.
The man took the papers carefully, eyes flickering across the page. Kakashi's eyes curved more as he saw the man pale slightly.
"I am enacting the right of a sensei to adopt their genin proteges, in the case that the need arises. As of today, I am the rightful guardian of Uzumaki Naruto."
There was a collective still in the room. The law enabling this had been created and passed following the second shinobi war, death so rampant that something had to be done for the orphans. Many ordinances and acts had been passed to support the Konoha population of orphans, this was just one among them. Unfortunately it was one of the older and more, so to say, 'unbending' laws established. The council could do nothing to counter Kakashi's action. Naruto was now officially out of their hands.
"This meeting is at an intermission, we will continue after the lunch hour."
Utatane's words caused a rumble of chatter to burst out on the room as the clan heads rose and began exiting. Danzo, Utatane and Homura stayed sitting while Kakashi stood in front of them, shamelessly smiling. Once everyone was gone, Utatane turned a furious gaze on Kakashi.
"What, is the meaning of this, Hatake-san?"
Here was the part Kakashi hadn't been looking forward to.
"I had a deadline, Utatane-sama, I found it necessary to fulfill the parameters given by Danzo-sama. It would be insubordinate to act otherwise."
Homura and Utatane looked over at Danzo. The man wasn't forthcoming. Kakashi took advantage of this and placed the message he had received on the table in front of them. Homura picked it up, eyes scanning over the message. He then read it aloud.
"Housing? 48 hours? What is this Danzo?" Homura asked, setting the scroll down.
Utatane took the scroll and quickly read it over again, as if to confirm its contents.
"I was merely meeting the needs of a member of the village."
Kakashi could feel the tension in the room, things bigger than him were at work. Utatane nodded. Homura looked over at Kakashi.
"You are excused, Hatake-san."
Kakashi nodded, giving a slight bow and noting the look in Utatane's and Danzo's eyes which indicated that this episode was far from over. Kakashi walked out, feeling the dark gazes on his back.
Naruto glared at the bag of money in confusion. Kakashi had just given him money, stingy 'my cute little genin are paying' Kakashi gave him money. Carefully he pulled the drawstring open, careful for whatever trap this might have been. He was surprised as he dumped the coins on the table and nothing exploded. He counted it and was even more surprised to find 5,000 yen. Thinking about last night left him feeling uncomfortable, his childhood was fraught with misery and to survive he had often just turned his brain off, pulled a screen across memories and events and slapped on a grin. If you were excited about everything you couldn't be sad about anything.
It was difficult though, with Kakashi constantly being around and these questions and changes. It was stressful and throwing his coping mechanisms out of balance. But at the moment he was able to throw himself into this one, money to go splurge on treats, as demanded by his sensei.
A grin split across Naruto's face, this was a treat to be shared.
Sakura's feet were dangling off the bridge, kicking back and forth as she stared in boredom at the slow moving river. It was going on 11:00am and Kakashi hadn't shown up. Sasuke had been particularly sullen and she hadn't felt as much in the mood to try to woo the boy. Things had changed slightly, she still adored Sasuke, it was just less than before. Her sense of a shinobi had been affirmed during the Chuunin exam and the feelings she had for Sasuke had dulled while her warmth for her other teammates had grown.
The form of their teacher appeared suddenly, not moving at his usual leisurely pace.
"No missions today, no training either," the clone stated simply before poofing from existence.
Sakura frowned, annoyed that she had wasted her morning. Sasuke seemed more upset, letting out a curse and punching a post. Sakura became wary, eyeing her teammate. Ever since that curse mark had been placed on him, he had been different. Sasuke turned to go.
"Where are you going?"
"To train," Sasuke bit out. He didn't look back as he walked away.
Sakura didn't pursue him, instead choosing to walk back into the village, worry and melancholy falling over her. She walked aimlessly for awhile, until she spotted a familiar orange jacket. Pausing, she was surprised to see her teammate surrounded by team ten and team eight, the only missing person being Hinata. Sakura turned to watch, loneliness filling her at the sight as Naruto threw his arms in the air and said something which made Shiba tackle him to the ground, causing the rest of the group to laugh or shake their heads.
She wasn't a part of that, a choice she had made. She was often so unkind to Naruto and had scorned many of the other academy students. The boys wrestled for a little bit before Shiba pinned Naruto. They broke apart and Akimichi jumped on the blonde, licking his face. Even from across the street Sakura could hear the loud, soul cheering laugh of Naruto.
Then, suddenly, he looked to the side. Sakura startled, spooked by her having been seen. The others followed Naruto's gaze. Sakura felt insecurity well up in her. Then,
"Oi! Sakura-chan!"
Naruto was waving her over, a smile on his face inviting her to join them, no judgement, no anger, just pure acceptance and a desire for her to be with them and be happy. Sakura felt a smile grow on her face and she raced over to meet them.
Ino slapped her on the back, both of them exchanging their insulting hellos and Choji began going on about the snacks that all of them had chipped in to buy, offering her some which she gladly took. Shikamaru grumbled and Kiba went back to wrestling with Naruto. Sakura felt the warmth of acceptance and friendship seep into her, gratitude filling her at the kindness Naruto had unconditionally given her.
"So, where's Sasuke?"
Sakura raised her brows at Ino's question, inside turmoil wanting to shove it into her frenemy's face that Sasuke was on her team and that she knew the answer. She had changed though. Sakura shrugged as several other of the genin looked at her for an answer.
"Who cares?" She said flippantly, biting into a steamed bun which had been passed to her.
Naruto had heard the answer and shoved Kiba off of him before bounding over to Sakura.
"Hey, where is that teme!? You would've seen him at the bridge! He's training isn't he!? That bastard!"
"Don't insult Sasuke!" Sakura said, raising a fist and making the enraged Naruto cower in fear.
She didn't hit him though, instead moving toward the next stall that was loaded with sweets.
"Like I said," she repeated, "I don't know where he is, let's just have fun."
Everyone stared at her in shock and Sakura felt her face heat up with self-consciousness. Shikamaru let out a scoff and looked away and then the rest did so, acting as though nothing had happened. It was a little embarrassing to realize that all of them had expected her to be tailing after the Uchiha. Her heart still fluttered for the boy, but the care she felt for him had been tempered and her adoration stifled. Sakura looked over at Naruto, remembering the bruises that had lined his stomach from yesterday. Besides, there was a lot more to life than an Uchiha.
"Hey, Naruto!" She yelled "try this one!"
She held out some yokan she had just purchased and watched with joy as her teammate grabbed it with a brilliant smile and a bright 'arigato'. Sakura stifled a laugh as the boy gobbled the food and Choji cried for the same treat.
Kakashi went to the grocery store a second time, on this occasion he had the scroll Akifumi had given him in hand. It took some while going through the store, searching for the items. Plenty of woman stopped to give him a hand, oozing out comments on how handsome he was. It had been helpful, especially when he had helplessly gestured at his list and the recipes.
Tons of tips on cooking and suggestions flooded toward him, along with a good number of not so subtle 'I'll cook for you''s and then the ever subtle 'are you single?'. Needless to say, Kakashi walked out of the store with a large quantity of small torn papers along with several brown paper bags filled with all sorts of things he barely knew about. It seemed cruel irony that not so very long ago he had left vegetables at Sasuke and Naruto's houses as a way to prompt them both to eat healthier, in Naruto's case, or to remember to eat at all, the case of both of them. He himself grasped only the rudimentary skills in the kitchen and even that was debatable. Ninja didn't need to know how to cook, you either pushed through the hunger or you had military ration pills to sustain yourself. Also, with Kakashi's remarkable fighting prowess and his notable features he had never performed any in-depth undercover missions that might require the skill; genjutsu was only useful for short period undercover missions unless someone had extensive chakra reserves or was specialized in that area, Kakashi had neither of those things.
So here he was, countless years of ANBU experience but unable to know the difference between braze and broil. Rolling up his sleeves he eyed the groceries as if they were a formidable foe.
Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and give me some feedback! Is my writing style just plain boring? Are you interested and compelled by the storyline?