Ah! I'm nearly done with this fic! I've had loadsa fun typing this out and my GOSH! I've reached 30 chapters! Wow! That's like a record for me!
Thank you to b4k4girl for beta-reading this for me! Mwah! Arigatou!
Also, just as a warning, it may be a bit OC here. Hehe! But oh well, give me one fic where there is NO OC-ness and I'll bow to you!
Enjoy minna! Gomen for the lateness of this fic. I was absorbed with "Because you never knew". (Sheepish laugh)
WHY NOT 33Somehow, a few hours before sunset, Kakashi managed to gather the discarded clothes and Naruto in his arms and teleport them back to his apartment. He didn't want to get up from Naruto's warmth and the feel of him in his arms, all cozy and secure, but he didn't want to start his day by waking up to the sight of the woods and all sorts of bugs around them.
Once in the safety of his own home, he tucked Naruto into bed before he joined him. He pulled his shuriken printed comforter over the both of them and watched as Naruto slept on, not a care in the world. He knew, though, that Kyuubi was keeping an eye on his vessel, so any form of attack would immediately alert Naruto.
Kakashi placed a gentle kiss on Naruto's lips before snuggling into his pillow and closing his eyes. Before he drifted off completely to sleep, Naruto shifted in the bed and snuggled closer to Kakashi, an arm going around the Jounin's torso.
Kakashi merely smiled and closed his eyes.
XXX
Naruto woke up to the sight of a shelf lined with several copies and volumes of Icha Icha Paradise. Almost immediately, he sat up and whipped his head around until he saw Kakashi emerge from the bathroom, naked like the day he was born and towel drying his hair. Naruto gave out a little gasp and pulled the covers up to his nose, blushing like a virgin.
"And here I thought only virgins in Icha Icha Paradise reacted that way at the sight of a naked man!" Kakashi chuckled. "What's the matter Naruto?" Kakashi was instantly on top of him, pinning him on the bed and looking deeply in to his eyes. "Like what you see?"
Naruto could only blush as he remembered the intensity of their sex the other night. "You didn't carry me here, did you?"
"Teleporting jutsu." Kakashi said, getting off him and grabbing a comb from the dresser and running it through his silver locks. Naruto could not help but admire the beauty radiating off Kakashi. He truly was a handsome man. "Works wonders all the time."
Naruto smiled and peeled the sheets off him, getting to his feet and heading for the bathroom. He didn't bother to close the door and simply got into the shower and turned the tap on, allowing the warm spray to wash over him. He was very aware of Kakashi watching him from the doorway as he scrubbed his body with the small towel and soap. Kakashi was already dressed in clean house clothes (plain gray sweatpants and a torn sleeveless shirt) and had a grin plastered on his face.
Naruto turned the tap off and took the towel from the rack, and began to dry himself. "Enjoying yourself, are you?"
"How can I resist? You're putting up one hell of a show." Kakashi answered with a shrug. Naruto blushed beet red and Kakashi just laughed. He handed him some clothes and left him to dress up. As Naruto pulled on the white sweat pants and fading yellow t-shirt, he could almost feel Kakashi's arms around him as the fabric of the copy-nin's clothes brushed against his bare skin. Kakashi was all over him and his scent and presence drowned him.
Kakashi had already prepared some ramen and beef buns for their brunch. Naruto merely smiled and sat across from Kakashi, enjoying his meal and thinking about how life was good.
XXX
Naruto knelt on the thick branch of a blossoming green tree, keeping eye on his target. He was rich businessman and also a criminal. Naruto tightened the tie of his mask and gestured for the rest of his team that he was ready and was waiting for the command.
In a matter of seconds, a low whistle sounded. Naruto leapt into the air, brought out two kunais, one in each hand, and rained blows onto the surrounding guards of the S-ranked criminal. Raiko and two other ANBU members were already surrounding the primary target, an explosion of ninja arts occurring simultaneously. Naruto took out the rest of the guards and turned to help his other three companions, when one of the second eldest in the group called Aki came flying back towards his direction, a critical wound in his guts, blood oozing out in copious amounts.
Naruto was about to retaliate but Raiko, being the skilled ANBU leader that he was, managed to land a strong elbow jab on the target's face, just in time as their other companion, Rei, drove her sword deep in to the base of the target's spinal column. The target slumped on the ground, twitched for a few seconds then remained unmoving and silent.
Naruto whirled round and dashed toward Aki, kneeling beside him to check his wounds.
"He's not going to make it. The wound is too deep." Rei whispered.
"No!" Naruto snapped. "He'll live! He has a family waiting!"
Aki coughed and spluttered blood. None of them expected this to happen, but then again, the most unexpected things happens in moments like these. "Naruto." Raiko whispered sadly, pulling his mask off.
"Aki! Aki!" Naruto ripped his mask off, casting it aside like it was something worthless and positioned his hands to perform some seals, his eyes closed. "Stay with me, Aki. Don't forget, it's your daughter's birthday next week."
Aki coughed, but managed to smile sadly as he stared at Naruto with dying hope in his eyes. Rei was biting her lips, not knowing how to deal with Naruto's encouraging words while Aki was clearly slipping away to the next world.
"Stay with me." Naruto whispered and did several quick seals, then opening his eyes. Raiko and Rei had fallen to their backsides at the sight of Naruto's eyes. They were a dark violet, the edges a sky blue, while the pupil was slit like a cat's eye. While this was so, they watched in amazement while a chakra force field surrounded both Aki and Naruto. Aki's eyes were already glazing and he was getting paler.
"My heavens." Rei gasped, as she watched Aki's soul slowly lift out of his body, Aki already in the brink of death. But Naruto's chakra force field held his soul in place, all the while, blue sparks began to gather around the soul, seemingly strengthening it. Aki's body was already pale and limp, but as his soul grew brighter and brighter with new life energy, it slowly began to descend onto the body until it was back inside completely. Naruto did another sequence of seals and held his hands over Aki's wounds, red light surrounding both him and Aki.
"Naruto! Y-Your -You're bleeding!" Rei gasped, since it was the first time for her to witness Naruto's healing jutsu.
Naruto continued to heal Aki, until the wound was gone and not a scratch as left on Aki's physique. It was as if nothing happened to Aki at all, except for the torn vest and undershirt of his ANBU uniform. He looked like he just had dinner with his family!
Aki sat up and stared wide eyed at Naruto. Naruto coughed and supported his weight with a shaking arm, his torso bleeding badly. He managed to give Aki a little smile before he coughed up again, blood oozing out of his lips on to the already blood-stained earth.
"Why?" Aki asked, and helped Naruto up while Raiko took the other side.
"Because n-no child sh-should ever go t-through l-life with-o-out a p-p-parent." He looked at Aki sadly and then Aki understood. They all did. Naruto had been an orphan and knew the harshness of being alone. "It's n-n-not f-fair on t-them."
And with that said, Naruto fainted into the trusting, gentle holds and support of his teammates and comrades.
XXX
Naruto lifted his heavy eyelids open, and found himself staring at a familiar off-white ceiling. He sat up and found himself bare like the day he was born, torso clean from blood and no longer wounded, a yellow blanket covering his naked form.
He narrowed his eyes. "I'm home." He whispered and the door opened as Kakashi entered, a worried look on his handsome face.
"Naruto." He whispered, and placed his hands on Naruto's cheeks, cupping them and rubbing gentle circles. "Thank heavens you're awake. It's been a week!"
Naruto smiled. Looks like Kato-san was wrong. It wouldn't take him a month to in his unconscious form whenever he used that jutsu. "Ah, a week."
"Lie down. You're still pale." Kakashi said gently and laid him back on the bed. Naruto stared up at his lover and former-teacher, eyes drowsy and heavy, but with a glow of happiness within. "I heard of what you did. Aki came here with his family in hopes of thanking you. His daughter is quite a fan of yours!"
"Really?" Naruto smiled tiredly. "Looks like you have competition then."
Kakashi did not smile at the joke, but grew even more worried. "Naruto."
"Kakashi, I'm fine." Naruto whispered, giving Kakashi's hands a weak squeeze. "I'm just worn out. It's normal after I -" Naruto winced and brought a hand to the Shin mark on his chest.
"He told me about that." Kakashi said, and kissed Naruto's cheek. "I think I now understand." Naruto smiled at him sincerely and Kakashi only felt more afraid. "W-When I saw you a week ago, when Raiko and the other brought you in from your mission -" Kakashi stopped talking, the words dying in his throat. "I - I felt afraid. I was afraid you wouldn't make it. Even Tsunade doubted your healing abilities would kick in. You were in such a state Naruto!" The last sentence came out desperately. "Since that day, I live in this constant fear that one day, or one night, you - you wont come home anymore." Kakashi gave a bitter laugh. "I sound silly, don't I?"
"No." Naruto whispered and squeezed Kakashi's hand once more. "You don't. When you go on a mission, I live in the same fear too." Kakashi looked at him before his lips curled up in a little smile. "I can tell you one thing though." Naruto inhaled slowly and closed his eyes. "It feels good to come home to someone."
Kakashi stood up and pulled his shirt and pants off until he was bare and slipped under the covers. He wrapped his arms around Naruto tightly, kissing his cheek, neck and shoulder gently, whispering sweet nothings into his ear under the moonlight.
TBC