A/N & DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe. I don't know if I really need to mention it, but just to be safe, I'll warn y'all that there is some "drug use" here. It's legal and is different for ninjas (and pure, and safer, and designed for shinobi by shinobi,) so there ya go. Read on if you dare. Hope you enjoy it.


Thinking (+ flashbacks, "Naruto speaking to Kurama in her mindscape," etc.)

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking


"I'm going back."

Choji swallowed the lump that came up in his throat. "What do you mean, 'you're going back?'" he asked his best friend, his gut twisting as he feared that he DID know what he was implying.

"I'll find a way," Shikamaru muttered to himself. Choji grabbed his shoulder with his large hand and gently shook it.

"We don't know if it's true, Shikamaru. Naru hasn't admitted anything about Rokudaime-sama."

His words were met with silence.

"I was gonna marry her, Choji: as soon as the war was over…" Choji didn't say anything, but eventually offered him an entire bag of chips, even though it was his best friend's favorite: barbecue flavored. Shikamaru thanked him, opened it, and thought more about what he needed to do before laying back down on the roof of his parent's place. "I thought she was dead: I really did…"

"I know. You know, it's not like you and Temari-hime were a bad couple: not at all! Sometimes… I'm just going to be honest here, Shikamaru: sometimes I think you're obsessed with Naruto."

Shikamaru laughed: even he realized what a hollow sound it was. "I'm a Nara, Choji! It happens."

"But it's not healthy, man! And Naruto: she's always had a real - forgive the phrase - but a dog-like loyalty and code. It's a wonder, really, that she ever stood loyal to the village in the first place," the larger man eventually added.

Shikamaru huffed. "She loves her home and has always latched on to anyone she cares for," he said quietly. "And please don't use the phrase 'dog-like.'"

Kakashi has dogs, so just NO.

"Sorry. But she's got that Inuzuka-like way about her, you know? Kiba's even said so."

Shikamaru didn't respond, and the two sat there in silence - outside of an occasional chip being snacked on - as they gazed at the clouds. "How long do you think they've been together?"

Choji pursed his lips, side-eyeing his stubborn friend. "I don't think they are." His mind went back to Sasuke's irritation that Naruto wasn't realizing that he was trying to date her shortly after the war was over.

"Shut up, Bastard! I am SINGLE and ready to platonically mingle! So I don't get what the hell you're talking about. What's your deal?"

"Dobe! Why are you such an airhead?!"

Naruto was a terrible liar, especially for a ninja. But, she was a ninja: a great enough ninja to become Hokage. "Maybe Ino would know for sure."


.


Uzushio was in a lot better shape than when Naruto was here last - in the future.

"There are buildings that are standing," she murmured to Kakashi, looking around again. She'd run across the eddy-infested waters as if she was running across a river - something that supposedly only an Uzumaki could do. Having put a Hiraishin marker down, she'd looked around in shock before flashing back to her former sensei and then returned with him.

"You weren't expecting that?" he asked, surprised (and faltering a bit) when she intertwined his hand with hers.

"No," Naru replied quietly, slowly leading Kakashi forward. This place freaked her out, even if it should have been - once upon a time - her second home. "When we were here before," she whispered, "everything was a wreck. It took FOREVER to gather the scrolls."

"You're whispering," he whispered back. "Do you sense anyone?"

Naruto shook her head. "Wild animals." They were just normal animals, though. There were more, however, than there had been in the future - and wasn't that weird? Apparently, she was brooding out loud again because Kakashi replied to what she was thinking.

"Maa, future invaders, if one might call them that, may have caused the damage you anticipated and once witnessed. Or simply the weather."

"I guess," Naruto replied. She was startled when Kakashi pushed his fingers to her forehead, smoothing out what were undoubtedly lines between her creased eyebrows. Seeing the blush on the edge of his mask as he quickly drew his hand back, she chuckled and pulled him forward. At the present time, he was such a goof. "I guess our first stop is the Kage Tower." She began taking determined strides, avoiding looking too much at the carnage that was still evident all around them. Fortunately, there were no skeletons or anything so far.

"Ano- Don't say anything about… g-h-o-s-t-s," she whispered but signed the last word.

Kakashi scoffed before realizing that she was again serious. He offered a quick nod but internally snickered at the powerful kunoichi who had a very childish fear.

Four hours later, Kakashi's head was almost spinning from the initial seals they'd found. She looked up at him from the floor in the Kage's office that she was kneeling on with her amazing blue eyes and grinned up at him. "Tired?"

"Maa, I may have overused the Sharingan."

"Crap," Naruto said, then picked his giant ass up over her shoulder despite his squawky protests. "You should've said something! C'mon, you baka. I'll make you something to eat."


"Something to eat" turned out to be ramen of course. It was warm and the noodles were still chewy: it tasted as if the bowls had just been passed across the ramen bar by Teuchi himself. As nice as that was, however, Kakashi had another question that was more important. –Actually, he had several.

"Naruto," he began uneasily. "Why are you allowing me to record your clan's seals? All of this is your heritage: it belongs to you." Naruto shrugged and looked away, but he liked the way her cheeks dusted pink.

"You're my family, ya know," she began quietly. "Doesn't matter that you don't remember what I remember, and haven't gone through those same experiences with me: it's just the way it is." Feeling awkward, she pointed something else out. "You have my clan's crest not only on your Jonin vest but also on the shirts you wear." Interestingly enough, she had never brought it up to him before.

Kakashi stared at her while she turned and looked out toward the sea. She was so beautiful - and the first person to call him out on this. He did wear the Uzumaki crest rather than his father's. Quickly standing despite his chakra reserves being low, he knew he had to get out of there. "Maa, be right back."

"Oka-" Naru began to say, but he'd poofed off again. "That man…"

Kakashi popped a soldier pill so that he could summon Pakkun.

"Yo!"

"I don't know what to do."

Pakkun tsk-ed and sat down next to his rather (in this way) pathetic summoner. "I'm guessing this is about Naruto." Kakashi gave him a dry look. "It's always about her when you look like that. Well, let's see if you can keep from screwing things up with her this time, hm?"

Kakashi glared at his tiny, too-wise partner. "What do you mean?"

Pakkun, however, was sniffing around. "If you're in Uzushio, where is she?" He lifted his little snout and sniffed the air. "You left her alone? …You really aren't a genius in all areas, are ya, Boss?"

Kakashi's mouth fell open. "Since when did you get so cheeky?"

"I've seen some SHIT, Kakashi." His summoner only scratched his head, looking young and cranky. "Do you want me to talk to her?"

Kakashi knew he certainly wasn't much of a talker - not when it came to anything of real importance or was emotional. All he was feeling (and thinking) were emotions, which was awful. Pakkun sure seemed to have acquired quite the sharp but sly tongue from him, he'd noticed - especially since he and the Fuckees arrived. "Alright."

"Fine," Pakkun sniffed, "but only for half an hour, then you have to find me."

"Maa, that should be easy enough!"

"Yeah, it might not be hard to use your nose, but will you have the courage to do so by then?" the tiny dog asked. He trotted off to find his favorite blonde.

"Pakkun?" Naru asked as she quickly stood up and brushed the sand off her capris. "Is Kakashi okay? That moron ran off with low chakra and…"

Pakkun put his soft paw in the air to stop her. "He's fine, Naruto. Sit down." He watched as Naruto reached out her senses, misting her chakra over everything before shaking her head in exasperation - obviously having found his summoner then - and flopping back on the sand. "I need to talk to you about a few things."

"Alright," Naru agreed and let the ninken crawl into her lap. She gave him a dirty look when he began scratching himself, though. She did not want fleas again from this bath-hating dog! "What's up?"

"I can't get back to the future," Pakkun informed her.

"Wha- But you got back to Kakashi -er, Rokudaime-sama before! That's what you said!"

"That's right: I did. But something's changed enough so that I can't get back to THAT Kakashi."

Naruto slowly blinked several times, trying to see if he was telling the full truth and to deny her fears. "Is there still a future?" she finally asked in a quiet, almost fearful voice.

Pakkun sighed. "I'm sure of it: don't ask me how," he rushed, remembering the conversations he'd had with the blonde about summoning realms several times and she just never understood all of it. "I think the Kakashi you knew might be gone." When Naru's eyes began to tear up, he clarified what he meant. "He's DIFFERENT in the future, I mean."

Naru swallowed hard and wiped her eyes. Inhaling slowly, she stuck her chin out. "I don't know if I like that or not," she admitted, plastering on what she called her Professional Face. "Konoha needs Rokudaime Hokage Hatake Kakashi. …The whole alliance does."

"Naruto," Pakkun sighed, knowing he sounded old but needing to get to the heart of the matter before his summoner ran out of chakra - or he did. "You bear Kakashi's mating mark: it is a very real thing and undeniable!"

"Sh- shut up you shitty dog! ...What?! If that's true, then probably half the future Shinobi Alliance has the same thing on them somewhere."

Pakkun did quickly move from the tempestuous woman's lap so that she could run into the ocean, shrieking her head off when he told her that she was the only person to carry it, and she realized, to some extent, what that meant. Pakkun would almost bet his treats that Kakashi was running away if he heard her carrying on like this. –And that was smart.

"Hatakes are only capable of marking, then remaining true to one mate! Moreso than even an Inuzuka!"

"Are you done?" he eventually asked. Naruto looked pretty worn out, which was good: she was much less violent that way.

"I'm done alright! What if..." Kami: it was hard to breathe. Naru ran back out in the water before coming back, panting, after finding a shark with a shitty attitude that was just begging to have it adjusted. She dealt with him severely.

"Kiba said... What if I wanted to find someone someday?" she asked miserably. "Someone that I could love that would love me and only me?" she asked miserably, trying to stop her bottom lip from being the quivering betraying fuck that it was trending toward! "Why the fuck would he mark me as if he owned me, then LEAVE ME?" she asked in fury. "What am I? Am I that much of a joke to him?!"

Pakkun sat back down and took a deep breath. His summoner had said that he could talk to her (finally) so talk to her he would! "From your point of view and with my knowledge of his past and all, Kakashi underwent an experience that changed him mightily... it happened about a year from now, I think. He loves you, Naruto. He fell in love with you during the early part of the war and punished himself for it for years."

Naruto's expression turned to shock, then her lips curled up in disbelief. "Pakkun. I think I know better, ne?" she chuckled bitterly. "About how he feels about me, I mean. THAT man left me and had his arms around another woman before I had a chance to make it... back to his place." She said the last words under her breath.

"A lie," Pakkun said.

It sounded awfully condescending to Naruto. "You dare call me a liar?' she asked dangerously. "All I needed to get were clothes and a shower..."

"All HE needed was a moment to think like the idiot he is in order to SAVE you," Pakkun countered.

Naruto's expression turned into a sneer. Gods: she really hadn't gotten over that burn yet, had she? Stupid dog: reminding her of all of that inner turmoil that was locked up tight in the Fun House! "Save me from what?"

"Save you from him," Pakkun said, explaining it to her as if she were a toddler. Geez: she and Kakashi were going to give birth to full-on emotionally-dumbass puppies one day, weren't they?

"Bunch of bullshit right there," Naru commented, having said the same thing dozens of times when it came to something (else) like this from Kakashi. They argued for a while longer before Kakashi came ambling up. Pakkun stood in front of his summoner, almost as if to defend him - which was almost comical.

"I'm not a combatant-type," Pakkun had said a million times.

"Maa, Naruto-chan," Kakashi began as he picked up his ninken best friend. He didn't know what Pakkun had said to the blonde but she looked wet and scary. And... kinda hot.

"Fuck all this stuff, man," she said to herself as she turned away from them. "I'm gonna smoke some weed." Naru began digging around in her nearby vest before pulling out a seal - a waterproof, fireproof seal - and unsealing her precious cigar. "Ya want some or what?"

Kakashi was going to say no but looked at the cigar more closely, even lifting his headband when he saw it to study it more. "Is that... Nara weed?"

"Fuck yeah, it is."

"Um… Sure?" Kakashi asked weakly. I am, technically, on a semi-vacation. He'd only HEARD about how "magical" the Nara blend was. He followed his blonde down the beach a ways where she found an enormous pipe to sit against. She kicked it and crabs took off in every direction. Naru displayed the fat cigar with the pink "It's a Girl" ribbon wrapped around it, wiggling it between her long fingers.

"Sure you can handle it?" Naru asked challengingly - or maybe it was teasingly.

"Maa… Let's do this?"

"Idiot," Naru muttered as she used a spark jutsu - thank you, Konohamaru - to light it up. Inhaling from it deeply, she even felt a furious Kurama begin to relax and shut up as he closed his eyes. She passed the joint, er- Nara Medicinal Herb Blend that had been formed into the shape of a... whatever: where was her brain? - to her former Kage and sensei, unable to look him in the eye. It didn't take long, however, before she stretched out on the beach and relaxed. Just a few more tokes and her head was spinning with sealing possibilities and interest in the man beside her. "What?"

And speaking of "what," what had happened to Kakashi to change him so much or make him renounce his clan? Did she really even want to know? Damn pervert: she'd have to protect his soon-to-be-old ass so that it didn't happen again, whatever it was, wouldn't she?

Kakashi abandoned staring at the blonde for looking at the stars instead. "I've never had this before."

Naru hummed, turning her head to study the constellations again. They were incredibly bright in Uzushio. "You were the one who wanted to be with me when I tried Nara weed for the first time," she said quietly after taking another deep toke. "And this actually helped with the pain when I had my arm surgeries." Her old Kakashi had been there for her through it all. She handed the cigar back to him and grabbed her pack again to unseal some chips for later.

Kakashi looked at the cigar after taking another hit, wondering how it worked, both chemically and physically. Nara joints, even, were said to last for months (so the much larger cigars had to last even longer.) They smelled good, which was odd. Some of their effects could supposedly be reversed by simply discharging one's chakra, and...

"Stop overthinking with that big brain of yours and just enjoy it, Rokudaime-sama."

Kakashi must have been stoned because it took a while for him to realize what she'd said. His eyes eventually went wide and he clutched his gut. "Wh- what did you call me?!"

Naru began laughing, clutching her abdomen, as she literally rocked back and forth. She squealed with laughter. "I called you 'Rokudaime-sama,' Rokudaime-sama! Who do you think took the title of Lord Sixth?!"

Kakashi totally deserved that little surprise foreknowledge. Perverted asshole.

Eventually, he really did look like he was having a heart attack, so Naru leaned over and helpfully blew smoke in his face, pulling down his mask as she did so. She didn't expect him to pull her down for a kiss, and it was pretty awkward at first - unlike before - but she decided to go along with it. Maybe it was because she was stoned, maybe it was because what the fuck was she supposed to do when she had his damn MARK on her? Either way… Maybe she could be the sensei for once.

It didn't take long for Naruto to wonder whether or not she should be happy that Kakashi was a fast-learning genius in everything.

Fuck. It was just like Kurama had said: she was in trouble.


Gaara re-read part of the letter Kankuro had received from Tenten and scratched his head, his headache building. Good Gods, Naruto. What are you thinking?! Looking back, it was so obvious that Rokudaime-sama had it bad for his favorite blonde. "Fucking Perverted Manwhore!"

"I mean… Right?" Kankuro asked - looking thrilled but still bewildered. He was super thrilled he'd gotten Gaara to curse, though; it was always hilarious when he did. Plus what he said was true!

"Naruto's love life is none of your concern," Gaara then replied smoothly - just a few seconds later - and passed the letter back, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes.

Kankuro gaped. Gaara could be so bipolar and it never failed to piss him off when he flipped like this. "Wh- whaddya mean it's not my concern? It's EVERYONE'S concern, man," Kankuro raged. "Or, I mean… It will be, considering that Kakashi's slept with more than half of the shinobi alliance. The man is a bi-bicycle."

"Kankuro, that is enough."

"A wheelbarrow!" Gaara looked bewildered at that one, so Kankuro continued. "A rocking chair. Seriously, Gaara, picture the words I'm using in your mind and think of Lord Sixth going at it, right? He's a man slut: you get it!"

"Kankuro, I am BE-EGGING you," Gaara said in a broken groan despite how much he was trying to remain strong and think non-destructive, non-sand-coffiny thoughts. Fortunately, Kankuro stopped for a minute, as he crossed his leg and rested his jaw on his fist so that Gaara could begin pacing to work off some of his anxiety.

No, he couldn't! His deep concern was crushing him! - Just like the sand he was going to crush Kakashi with!

"I slept with him: I admit it," the older brother said, blushing, as he looked down at his letter. – He didn't say anything about the way that Gaara literally tripped - that was a first - and had to sit back down. "He's got a huge dick, man. And it's pretty!"

Was his brother incapable of reading a room?! "I am going to lock you into one of your puppets and fill it with sand!"

"Testy, testy! I'm just saying," Kankuro eased. "And it was only once."

Gaara tsk-ed and turned toward his brother, refusing to look him in the eyes as he rubbed his own. He couldn't after learning that! "I… mistakenly thought that you had only been with Lee and Tenten."

God gods: why was he discussing this?

"Nah," Kankuro drawled. "Unlike Lord Sixth, I just kept it on the down-low. Not that I had anywhere near his number of conquests."

Gaara slightly bobbed his head, considering the whole thing more. Since he'd only recently had his first "experience" - and oh what an experience it was: thank you Pakura - he did have general questions for a womanizer. Or perhaps in Kankuro's case, it was a "peoplizer?" Either way… "Have you been loyal to your lovers? To Lee and Tenten?"

"Of course, man! I want to marry them, and I EXPECT you to pass a bill to allow that this year," Kankuro insisted.

"Now that Pakura and I have killed most of the council it shouldn't be an issue," Gaara sniffed. He didn't feel bad for killing them: oh no. And not just because they were horrible individuals. They were stifling his people! He had given them a chance, but in the end, they had to go. Lady Pakura was dealing with the Wind Daimyo now. If he didn't come around, Pakura would kill him, too, and Gaara would install Kankuro as the new Daimyo, although he hadn't told him that yet. His family had enough money to make it happen, and he certainly had enough power. "Do you think that it's possible that the Kakashi we know - no, the 22-year-old Kakashi of the present - could he become loyal to Naruto?"

Kankuro had to think about that. "He's always been loyal to Naruto. But like THAT? I dunno, man." And didn't that make him feel bad for his buddy, Naruto? Gaara, he figured, had to be feeling even worse for her. "...The Nara's got to be losing his shit."

Both Sabaku brothers slowly broke out in vicious grins.

"Nara Shikamaru is a dangerous man," Gaara eventually said, threading his fingers together as he sat back and began to feel anxious for yet another reason. "Do you remember what that Inuzuka mentioned about mating marks?"

Kankuro nodded, one eyebrow lifted in distaste. "People in Konoha are weird."

"That's putting it mildly."

Kankuro hummed as he thought about it more. "I do like the idea of marking Tenny and Lee-chan. I've changed my mind! –It's kinda hot, really."

Sadly for Gaara, Shukaku was paying attention and thought marking someone was hot, too. "Please stop talking, Kankuro."


"You got me all hot and bothered and now you're too noble to do more?!" Naruto asked in outrage, her lips thoroughly bruised. Pervert had probably put hickeys all over her neck...

"Maa, maa! I want us to be sober!"

"You know we can get sober within a minute by running our chakra through our system with this stuff," Naruto said, turning over on her bedroll and pouting at him.

Kakashi nodded, taking another hit. Nara weed was extraordinary - and it was supposed to be a huge and long-term aid for those suffering from PTSD! He was certainly feeling good. "I can't feel anything below my waist."

"Ah, so that's it," Naruto said knowingly. It was interesting that he still had a huge bulge that was obvious through his Jonin pants. Suddenly, she found the whole thing hilarious and broke out into a giggle fit. Kakashi began laughing, too. She loved the way he laughed; it was all low and rumbly. "You know, Kakashi: I might not be willing tomorrow morning."

"Oh, you'll do it," Kakashi said, smirking down at her in an unfairly attractive manner as he pulled her back to his chest. "My mark on your shoulder will be bleeding enough to attract animals by then."

"Not if you keep licking it off," she mumbled to herself. "Fucking pervert." The idiot had thrown her gauze and stuff in the ocean. What if one of them got hurt? What if the gauze hurt a poor turtle or something?!

"Can I see how I marked you before?"

"No."

It's not like the mark's placement was a big deal, Naruto thought: it was just on her shoulder blade, but what if he saw it and turned into an animal or something? Wait a minute: that could be kinda hot! She whipped off her shirt and sports bra, her back turned to him but turned her face toward him as she covered her chest. "Whaddya think?" Kakashi gaped and literally started drooling within seconds, scaring the bejeezus out of her. She took off running into the ocean.

Once in deep enough to cover herself, she turned around and realized that Kakashi was staring at her with both eyes open and probably circulating his chakra. "Uh oh." When he put the cigar out and was able to stand, she screamed and started running again.

She wasn't ready for this! She CERTAINLY wasn't willing to have anything permanent!

- Permanence... A family of my own. – That's just bullshit, wishful thinking, anyway.

Especially with him!