A Spirit to be Loved

By: shar xei-kun

Notes: It's kinda early to have a lime (maybe not so lime) scene in here. I've added a little more swearing in here and I added a humor (if there's one) in here. ;;

Whatever things: I want to thank the reviewers of my story, domo arigato!!! Keep it up!!! Luv yeh, guys!!!

Disclaimers: I don't own Naruto. My Episode 77 of Naruto is gone!!!!! I have to download it again. T-T

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Eden, the peaceful paradise of the resting spirits. The place where Naruto resides now after his sacrificial death. And beside him is a person he would never expect to meet. Celeste, the spirit mistress: keeper and protector of Eden.

"You're the one who owns this place?" Naruto blinked twice. She must be the one Sakura talks about some time ago in one of our missions.

"Yup, yup." The crimson-eyed mistress answered him. "I say, your death is an act of sacrifice. And your mortal body is now in a coma. You are powerful. It rarely happens." She looks through the horizon before her eyes. "You know, you're a great guy."

"I am?" the blonde shinobi blinked again. "How?" his confusion blocked his thoughts of a certain black-haired shinobi for the moment. But the mistress feels his mixed emotions inside him about one person. Those mixed emotions were the reason why Naruto was here at the unexpected time. Kyubi's sudden explosion is a plus.

Celeste stood up. "You were able to control a large amount of energy enough to destroy your town at the cost of your own life. At the same time, you were able to suppress your own feelings just because the one you love seems not to feel the same way as you do. You know these things yourself."

Naruto blushed at what his new friend said about him and his feelings for a certain Uchiha. He now knows that being a spirit mistress means to know everything about a certain person on her territory. He pulled up his knees, and he wrapped his arms around it, burying his blushing face on it. "You're right about that. Have you experienced it?"

This time, it was the crimson-haired mistress who turned red. "Yes. He died already but," a tear made its way down her pale face. "I can't find him here. I don't know why but I can feel he's just around me, but----"

"Excuse me, Mistress Celeste."

A teenager disrupted their conversation. He was about Celeste's height, burgundy hair, amber orbs and a serious face. No, not emotionless ones. The guy just seemed THAT serious. He wears a navy one-piece suit and a long navy jacket top it all off.

"Mistress Celeste," just then, he started to kneel down on one knee, showing absolute respect to the person in front of him. "Mistress Vishnu is waiting for you at the sky garden. She says she wants to talk to you on something."

The azure-eyed shinobi intervened for a while, really not knowing who's who. "Mistress Vishnu???" he tilted his face to one side, showing obvious confusion.

"My right-hand and adviser." The crimson-haired girl quickly fixed her kimono and her hair before she went off. "She's older than me, but she knows humongous things that's beyond my knowledge. She always says that she knows enough and all the things she knew is the things she must knew. Sometimes, she can be mystifying with her choice of words to say, but all of it has sense. I admire her."

Silence.

"Go tell Vishnu I'll be there in a bit." She commanded her messenger in a stern voice. The amber-eyed person vanished in flash to go and do the mistress's orders. Meanwhile, Naruto remained silent there for a while, trying to analyze all things said by his new friend. After a while, Celeste immediately vanished with a swirl of blue smoke.

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It was a new morning after that terrible night. It was a calm morning, the sound of birds singing in the air, and early people working in the town. But, it was not going to be that serene in Umino Iruka's place. Since last night, he sensed that something's wrong with Naruto, for he felt Kyubi's aura that night. Because of that, he was barely unable to sleep.

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?" Iruka rubbed his eyes one more time in the bathroom, hoping he would get the damn eyebags out of his face until he heard a response.

"It's Kakashi." A faint voice responded.

The brown-haired chuunin fixed his hair in that similar ponytail before the mirror. "Wait up." Ok, he's been in the bathroom for an hour already. Man, this guy has problems. No, not like he likes his reflection or something. He just simply hates eye bags. He slammed the door behind him and went to the front door to welcome his unexpected guest.

"Uh, hi!" he stammered, glaring at Kakashi, wondering why the hell in this guy have to talk to him right this morning?! And with all his glaring, he didn't notice he's only wearing his long-sleeved white polo so it simply shows his lower half.

The ash gray-haired jounin smiled and blushed a bit on what he saw. "Oooooh!!! You're pretty seductive this morning, eh?" With that, the other raised one of his eyebrows telling him what the hell does he mean. "Beautiful legs, I suppose." He smiled in a naughty way, and he seems to enjoy what he sees. Pervert guy.

This time, Iruka looked down to see and justify what his fellow ninja was saying. And oops, he WAS half-naked, his thighs were exposed showing his lean, slim legs. "Knock it off!!!" he began to turn into different shades of red, and blushing even more from the look of the other leaf-nin. "What the hell are you doing here this EARLY????"

The horny smile from the ash gray-haired jounin disappeared and was replaced by a serious one. A terribly serious one. "We have to talk." Although the other one didn't notice, but his blush were gone too and was replaced by the same serious face like Kakashi did.

"Come in." He led Kakashi inside his home, and made him wait in the living room for a while. He then went to the kitchen to look for something to serve to his guest. While looking, Kakashi sat down in the couch reading Flirting Paradise while waiting. Iruka's place is not really huge but hospitable and welcoming to the guest. The house seems simple. After all, the person living here has a simple life so, no doubt about it.

After a couple of minutes, Iruka came back with two glasses of tea. Chamomile tea, to be exact. He placed them on a nearby table and sat beside Kakashi. Well, he had to. There is only one couch on the house so-- -no doubt.

"What do you want to talk about?" Iruka crossed his arms and legs, exposing his thighs and leaning back into the couch.

The jounin closed his book and returning it into one of his pockets. "About Naruto." He then grabbed his tea to drink. Boy, the tea was relaxing and its taste and aroma were damn good, he loved the tea.

"That one? Yeah, I felt it too. Is he alright?" the chuunin began to worry, for his former student and a close friend of his seems to be in trouble. By this time, he didn't even give a damn about his fucking eye bags. All that matters now is what his fellow leaf-nin will tell him.

Kakashi's orbs were downcast and it seemed there is a damn deep depression seen in those orbs. And Iruka sees it. It's not that he's a mind reader or something, but based from his experience, he can read emotions based on one's eye. It might be not exact but it gives a clue or hint. Silence followed his question, and this disturbed his calmness.

"What the fuck?!!!" he shouted hysterically, urging Kakashi to speak. "Tell ME!!!!! What happened to him???"

"He's dead." Kakashi finally spoke, but he coughed after he said it. It was damn not easy to say something like that without hurting someone's feelings, especially on Iruka. He cared about Naruto more than anything and he treated him like his own brother. "Gomen nasai."

A number of tears were released from the chuunin's orbs, hands clenched into fists, trying to stop crying like an idiot. "Was he trying to control the demon fox again?" A nod was the only response he got. He just sighed in misery. "So that's it. He did enough. He suffered a lot being a special ninja, he deserves to rest."

"Maybe he could bring himself back to life." The jounin tried to cheer up the other, but it was no use.

He gave a sigh again. "Impossible. The spirit mistress won't allow him. You know that." He grabbed his tea, drinking it, and trying to relax himself from the sudden news. "When will be his funeral?"

"When the time comes his chakra will be gone." That was the reply. Iruka tried standing up. Buried in his depression, the moment he stood up, his legs lost its energy causing him to fall on his knees. Good thing Kakashi was able to catch him before he knocks the hard ground. The brown-haired chuunin has his eyes half-closed as the other ninja carried him on his arms to his bedroom. He neatly placed Iruka on the bed and covered him in the sheets before leaving. But, he was somehow prevented when someone tugged at his jacket.

"Stay." Iruka whispered, still tugging at Kakashi's jacket. "Please."

A wink and a nod was the answer he received. The ash gray-haired jounin removed his jacket; lay down under the sheets, wrapping the other shinobi in his arms trying to comfort him from the shock. Kakashi combed his fingers against Iruka's hair, while the other hand was caressing the brown- haired chuunin's thigh.

"Kakashi........." Iruka purred, his face was buried in Kakashi's chest. "You're still a pervert." He began to blush again.

"Nah, basically me though." The jounin kissed a sensitive spot in Iruka's neck causing moans to escape his lips. "And hey, by now you shouldn't have called me Kakashi, right?" he said in good-natured sarcasm.

"And what the hell should I call you besides your name?" By this time, Kakashi's hand was now roaming the other's body under the polo causing the other not to think properly, but he tries to. Ok, Iruka knew exactly what Kakashi meant about that but he was not too sure if he'll call him like that.

Kakashi didn't answer. Instead he snuggled against Iruka, almost drifting off to sleep. The other observed this and he too, snuggled against the one hugging him, and he was falling asleep.

"What will I ever do with you, koi."

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In Eden, there is a very serene place no ordinary spirit has ever gone to. This is the sky garden, or known in Eden as the mistress's palace. It's not really a palace; it is mostly a garden; a very beautiful and one of a kind. In the center of the "palace" is a silvery circular garden swing where Celeste and her right-hand, Vishnu, spends most of their time when they aren't in the mood to play with the other spirits. This place is really hard to locate and it has been said that only the protectors of Eden could enter that place. It's located high above those flowerbeds, but it can't be seen from below. Celeste rarely visits this place, although it's her palace, she'd rather play than be alone for the rest of her life.

The crimson-haired mistress finally arrived. "Vishnu?"

"Sis, on the flowerbeds." A voice answered her. It was not that far and not too long to locate her in sitting in the flowerbeds. Celeste's right- hand is much older than her. She's merely 6 years ahead of Celeste. Compared to her, Vishnu's a lot taller. She has brunette hair down to her upper back with 2 small braids on either side of her, Cypress green eyes and she's wearing a kimono similar to Celeste's, only that it's colored navy blue with a red obi in contrast to her pale skin just like her leader had. She has a mysterious presence but has an incredible wisdom.

Eden's keeper sat in front of her right-hand. "So, what's up?" Curiosity is clearly shown in those crimson orbs as she asked that question. "I mean, you called me out of the blue. So, does it have anything to do with my new pal?"

"Apparently, yes." The brunette answered with a smile. "This is the third time we had a case like this. Have you decided what to do with him?"

"Come'on, sis." She chuckled. "You know already what I am going to do!!" Breeze flew by sky garden as she said those words.

"I know. But," the brunette paused for a while, remembering that her young mistress had the same experience as Naruto did. "Understand your choice before it's too late."

Those words of wisdom again had rung the crimson mistress's ear. She's indeed true to her decision of helping Naruto before he goes six feet under. She doesn't want to happen like what happened to her. She never told her beloved one about how she feels and look, he's gone. "I've understood the choice I am making right this moment. I'm going to help Naruto before it's too late." She combed her nails through her silken hair before she stood up and deciding to leave her right hand in the palace.

"Sis, I'll be gone for a while so you'll replace me by that time. I trust you." She paused for a while to look at those cypress green orbs.

A smile from Vishnu's lips was the reply. "Walk it out, or you might have the thing that's missing from you." Was it another riddle? No, maybe a hint. A hint that was going to be a key to Celeste's missing piece.

"Hai, sis. I'll be going."

And like that, she was gone.

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The next day, footsteps marched approaching Konoha gates that late morning of the next day.

"Damn, damn. It's good to be home." A familiar voice approached the gates of Konoha upon home coming from a time-eating mission. Those raven hair, its spiky trademark, the ebony eyes and a familiar presence. He's carrying a backpack full of items he needed for the mission. But for now, he really needs rest before he's on into a new mission; this time with teammates, Sakura and Naruto.

Sasuke's back.

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Notes: So, it's another cliffhanger. Still no idea why it turned out like this, again. Kakashi and Iruka were not supposed to have a relationship but--- they HAD!!!!! Dun kill me. ;; Feedbacks/reviews are still highly appreciated. Thanks a lot. Thanks also fot those who have read this one...