Naruto sat numbly in his apartment…he still had the same apartment, furnished the same. He sat unseeingly on his couch. All he could keep seeing was the wedding band on Kakashi's hand.

I went back in time, changed things, just to be fucked. How could Kakashi get married? From the stories I heard, he never felt like that about her. He always just considered her a comrade. Sighing, Naruto flopped back, eyes sliding closed. He wanted to be angry, but he just…couldn't.

Well, kit…I warned you. I told you things could change drastically. Kurama didn't sound snotty, in fact, he actually sounded sad.

Yea, I know. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

Well, look, you already said you were having dinner with them…it's about time to meet them. Grab the bottle of sake and let's head out. I'll show you where they live.

Nodding, Naruto got to his feet. He changed into more civilian clothing, but not too formal…he settled on black jeans and a white long sleeved dress shirt. Combing his hair, he grabbed his wallet and the sake and headed out. Following Kurama's advice, Naruto walked up to a small cottage with beautiful flowers in multiple colors. Angrily he noted it was the same cottage Kakashi had picked out in his original timeline. Sighing, Naruto noticed Pakkun sitting outside, leisurely scratching. Smiling, the blond squatted down and scratched behind Pakkun's ear. "Hey, Pakkun." The jinchurriki always had a soft spot for the pug.

"Hey Naruto." Pakkun sniffed at Naruto and cocked an ear. "You're different."

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "I don't know what you are talking about." Standing up, giving one more scratch behind the ear, he went to the door and knocked on it. Opening the door, a brunette woman smiled, an apron on. It was the same girl he met when he went back, her markings still on her face, her eyes still so kind. Naruto wanted to punch her.

"Naruto! Since when do you knock?" Giggling, she grabbed his hand and drug him in. "Kakashi, Naruto's here…and he knocked." Naruto felt just a slight bit more glum. He didn't want to like her, but she seemed sweet. Kakashi came out in his mask, with a grey sweater on and black dress pants.

"Yo, Naruto. Why the knock?" He raised an eyebrow as his eye was smiling at the visitor.

"Uh…I dunno. Just felt the right thing to do." Naruto shrugged, putting a smile on his face. Handing the bottle of sake to Kakashi, he looked around the living room. It had muted purples and grays, with pictures on the wall and plants. It was furnished by a woman, obviously, as Naruto had seen Kakashi's Spartan bachelor cottage. Pakkun ran in and sat, looking at Kakashi.

"Right. Well, Naruto, make yourself at home. I'm going to feed the pups." Heading out, Pakkun wagged his tail, giving a little yip. Naruto just sat down, not sure what "making himself at home" meant here. After a few minutes, he heard Rin calling them for dinner. Heading into the dining area, he also wasn't sure where he was to sit, so he went and grabbed a plate of bread, setting it on the table as Rin smiled and thanked him. Gratefully, Naruto sat down, Kakashi and Rin having already sat at their respective spots on the floor. As the three said their thanks for the food, Naruto took a bite. Humming in appreciation, Naruto dug into the food, momentarily forgetting his sadness.

()()()

The evening moved on and Naruto was surprised to notice that he actually had a good time. Kakashi seemed…happy. Naruto didn't drink any of the sake, although Kakashi and Rin both had a glass, thanking him profusely. He didn't know what had happened in this past, but he saw that Kakashi didn't have the sharingan, but he had both eyes and the scar. Naruto also noticed that he had his bandaged arm.

Kid, you are still the hero. The war occurred. Seems Madara found another way to piss Obito off and brainwash him. Naruto frowned glumly again. That meant that Neji was still dead, as was Inoichi and Shikaku. Finally, noticing it was close to midnight, Naruto got up. "I better get going, it's late and Kakashi will blame me for being late tomorrow."

Rin chuckled. "He better not." As Rin put the plates away, Kakashi got up and headed to the door with Naruto.

"Good night, Naruto. Thank you for coming." Naruto bowed to Kakashi and then put his shoes on, leaving.

()()()

The next morning, Naruto got to the Hokage Tower a little early, hoping to see if there were any other major changes. Surprisingly, Kakashi was already there. "Good morning, Naruto."

"Morning." Naruto mumbled, yawning, surprised but too tired to care.

Kakashi looked up at Naruto. "Let's go take a tour of the walls, checking on the perimeter." Kakashi stood and started to walk out. Noticing it was an order, Naruto shrugged and followed. Kakashi stopped on the way, purchasing two coffees and two muffins. Handing one of each to Naruto, who accepted gratefully, he then walked to an outer perimeter that was private. Naruto started looking at the perimeter, looking to see if there were any breeches.

Kakashi cut right to the chase. "So, your chakra is the same, but you are not. Did something happen on your last mission?" Kakashi eyed Naruto, with concern in his eyes.

Naruto's eyes widened as guilt flared up in him. "What do you mean?"

Kakashi cocked his head and looked at Naruto knowingly. "Naruto, not only did Pakkun notice it, but I noticed it as well. One, you've never knocked. Two, you seemed shocked that I was married, although I have been married to Rin for fifteen years. Three, you showed up at the Hokage Tower at an obscenely early hour when you weren't called for a mission. Four…you were the one that came back in time and helped save Rin." Naruto's eye widened more. "Ah, there it is. I was right. So, Naruto…I'll ask again, did something happen on your last mission?" Kakashi slipped his hands in his pockets as he stared at the blond man.

Sighing, Naruto's shoulders slumped. Sitting down in the grass, he grabbed a blade and started playing with it. Kakashi sat down, facing Naruto. Letting out a big, whooshing breath, Naruto kept looking down. "Yes, but the mission I changed on isn't the one you are thinking of. It's a long story." Naruto admitted, looking up.

"We have time." Summoning Pakkun, Kakashi directed the pug to find Shikamaru and let him know that Kakashi and Naruto had to attend a meeting and wouldn't be in for the full day. Nodding, the pug trotted off. "Follow me." Shrugging, Naruto followed the silver haired nin. As they walked further into the forest, Kakashi led him to a treehouse? Walking up the tree, Kakashi entered the treehouse and made himself at home on the floor.

Naruto looked around. "Um…what is this?"

Kakashi frowned but sighed. "The treehouse you all played in when you were little."

Naruto just looked lost. Kakashi motioned for Naruto to sit. "Please, tell me what happened to you."

Naruto sat. Sighing, he looked down at his fingers. "Well…I guess I should start when Hinata and I got married." Kakashi's eye widened, but he said nothing. "The morning after we got married, I … I got a box." Naruto's eyes teared up at the memory. "We th…thought it was a present…it was in orange and black. But when we…we opened it…i…inside was your head." His voice had dropped to a whisper as the tears flowed at the memory, the jinchurriki's stomach hurting, his heart beating painfully.

Kakashi just looked at Naruto, his face showing nothing. "I talked to Kurama who said we could go back in time and change one thing. I thought about it and thought, well, how much of a reputation you developed after Obito died and you couldn't save him combined with your self-hatred from your "killing"" Naruto used air quotes "…of Rin, even though it was she who dived onto your chidori. Anyways, I thought that maybe you had pissed off someone really powerful. So I thought that if I could stop Rin from being killed, then maybe you wouldn't have been so ruthless and not made that enemy." Naruto looked up, his cerulean eyes haunted.

Kakashi looked at Naruto. "That's why you looked identical now to how you looked then…it was just a few days ago for you."

Naruto nodded, his eyes still glassy.

"Naruto. What were we in that timeline? You seem more upset than to be expected for a student losing his teacher." Kakashi stared at Naruto.

"Well, um…" Naruto's face told Kakashi everything he needed to know. Thinking but a moment, Kakashi reached out and grabbed Naruto's hand. Pulling his mask down, he looked Naruto in the face.

"If I'm asking you something obviously so personal, I shouldn't hide." Kakashi stared at Naruto. "Were we lovers?" Kakashi asked gently.

Naruto's face turned bright red…partially from the embarrassment of that question and partially from finally getting to see that elusive face that was…fucking gorgeous. "No." Naruto squeaked out.

"Ah, it was one sided." Kakashi noted sagely.

"No." was all Naruto could squeak out again. Kakashi looked confused.

Naruto had to look away to compose his thoughts. "I…I'd loved you for a while, but you never seemed to notice me. We were such good friends; I didn't want to screw that up. Then, after you died, Guy told me that you had loved me, but didn't think I cared about you, so you had stayed quiet so as not to hurt my feelings." Naruto became very interested in his fingers again.

"I see." Kakashi was quiet. After a few moments, "Do you…still feel the same?"

Naruto kept looking at his fingers. "I do." He did not see the harm in admitting this to the man now. After doing all he did; literally moving heaven and earth, he didn't feel he should lie to Kakashi. Hell, Kakashi would know, anyways. When Kakashi said nothing else, Naruto looked up. Kakashi was staring at him. "Look, I know you are happy with Rin, so you don't have to worry about me ruining anything. I won't come between you and Rin. I'll never admit this to anyone. I'll be the good little ninja. I'll marry Hinata." If the jinchurriki's chin quivered slightly at that, Kakashi said nothing. Averting his eyes from the elder man, he stood and dusted himself off, not noticing that Kakashi had stood as well. "Look, I better get go…"

Naruto's eyes widened as he felt the soft kiss from Kakashi. Kakashi pulled back and ran a hand down Naruto's cheek. "Naruto, I think I have a confession of my own I need to share with you. Please, sit back down." As he gestured to the ground, Naruto stumbled as he sat.

"I must admit, I was less than honorable when Rin and I met you when I was younger." As Naruto furrowed his brow, Kakashi went on, eyes sliding away from Naruto's face. "I didn't know you, and didn't know if we could trust you, so I did the Eye Mind Reading jutsu on you when you traveled back in time and met Rin and I. I saw…everything. I saw Guy confess my feelings for you. I saw what you told me. I saw our history. After you left, I was able to place everything together. I kept remembering everything we had been through together. And…I fell in love with you through those memories. However, as you got older, I could tell you were not the same person as the one I met. I knew I'd have to wait for the right time…if there would even be a right time. I wasn't sure you were from my dimension or would even come back."

Naruto sat in shock, not understanding what is going on. Kakashi continued, now looking at his hands. "Rin admitted to me she loved me. She actually asked me to marry her. At that point, I had already told her that I had fallen in love with you from what I had learned from the jutsu. She vowed to me that she understood, and that if I ever met you…that version of you…and still felt the same, she wouldn't stand in the way." Swallowing again, Kakashi looked up at Naruto. "I told her last night that the you we ate with was the one I fell in love with." Kakashi sat silent for a while longer. Naruto didn't dare move. Finally, "She told me she didn't want a divorce because she loved me and she honored her vows, but she wouldn't stop us, as long as we were discreet."

Naruto sat, shell-shocked. "W…What? I mean…huh?" Naruto's head was whirling.

Kakashi looked down. "I…I want to do this. I want to be with you. Her blessing is on this, so it's not cheating. The question is…can you do this…do you even want to do this?" Onyx eyes studied Naruto's face.

Naruto sat, blinking. Kit, I told you there would be a cost. Can you withstand it?

"I…I don't know. I mean…I want to do this…but I don't know if I can." Looking at Kakashi, he swallowed audibly. "I mean, marriage is sacred."

Kakashi bowed his head. "I understand, Naruto. Take all the time you need. Know that I have waited over fifteen years for you…I can wait as long as needed. I love you, Naruto." Standing, Kakashi dusted himself off and walked out, leaving a very confused Naruto sitting, dappled in shadows.