Chapter 8. Posted a little slower this time, I had some biology work to do. NOOO! THE DREADED BIOLOGY! Well, it's all over now, I'll just try and pretend it was a bad dream…
Anyway…chapter 8. Once again this chapter feels to me as though its merely setting up for the next one. Thank you for the reviews! It's nice to know that I have the same sense of humour to some people ;)
Enjoy! Let me know what you think as always!
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Chapter 8
Scribbling furiously Tsunade completed another piece of paperwork.
Just a couple more then sake. Just a bit more writing then sake…Was the general trail of thought that was running through the Hokage's mind.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Come in." Tsunade called without looking up. It had been a long hard day and all she wanted now was some sake to relax with.
The door opened, the figure of a person walking forward to her desk. Looking up she started.
"Kakashi! You used a door?" it was a good enough reason for her to put the pen down. "What's so important that you used my door? What's Naruto done?"
"Nothings wrong. I thought I'd just tell you about his progress." Kakashi said calmly holding his hands up, palms facing outward as though trying to physically stop her questions.
"Ok, tell me but if you don't make it quick then you're going to be responsible for buying me a drink for holding up my work." Tsunade said tiredly
"Well, Naruto seemed to take meeting Sasuke and Sakura ok. Their…distance…has been as such since their academy days. I'm quite certain Naruto did some joke at Sasuke's expense. I told Naruto and Sasuke to spar and Sasuke ended up pummelling Naruto." Kakashi said but seeing Tsunade's look he continued before she could speak. "Sasuke was fighting seriously; I had to step in when he was holding Naruto by the front of his jacket alternately punching his face and stomach. Overall Naruto did well for his circumstances. I don't know if he remembers jutsu's he's learned, he may remember them when doing them. But now he remembers the bell test I did with them on my second day of knowing them. They were fighting in the same place as we were that day."
Tsunade was silent for a while, tapping her finger against her lips.
"I'm guessing that he remembered this whilst he was fighting Sasuke?" Tsunade asked seriously.
From his one visible eye she could tell that Kakashi was impressed.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Oh, it's just what I've seen of Naruto. His strength is heightened by his emotions when he fights. I just thought if he's fighting Sasuke then he's going to get angry. It just seemed plausible that emotions would trigger his memories." Tsunade said propping her head up on her hand.
"What do you propose?" Kakashi asked, he could tell the Hokage had something up her sleeve.
"Well, this could just be me, but if Naruto was put through a number of stressful situations, controlled though, we should be able to recover his memory quicker. But then there's always the chance that it could actually traumatise Naruto causing his memories to take even longer to return. It could always be left to time but there's such a risk with his memory loss that he can't tell friend from enemy." Tsunade said rather carelessly as though simply musing aloud.
"What do you mean 'stressful situations'?" Kakashi asked slowly.
"Like his fight Sasuke today. I'm sure the other jounins would co-operate with the idea." Tsunade sighed.
She knew this was a serious situation and she did care greatly about Naruto, but she really wanted some sake.
"You want Naruto to fight jounins?" Kakashi said in a deadened voice.
"No. I meant their students, but that's not a bad idea either." Tsunade said quietly in a thoughtful voice. "I'll speak to the teachers first thing tomorrow. I'll finish this work later. Let's go Kakashi, you owe me a drink." The Hokage said standing as she pulled on her green jacket. "And don't give me that look, you made me late so you're not getting out of buying me a drink."
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"Sake please." Tsunade said to the waiter as she took her seat. Kakashi sat next to her in front of the service counter. He didn't really want to be there but he had no where else better to go.
"Is that for both of you?" the waiter asked.
"Yeah. One each please." She replied.
The man bustled away for a moment before returning with two white containers of Sake and two cups.
"You know Kakashi; I don't think I've ever seen you without your mask." The Hokage said watching him slyly from the corner of her eyes as she filled both their small cups with sake. Lifting her cup to her lips she gulped down the liquid in on go, sighing leisurely as she lowered her cup, watching Kakashi openly this time.
"Huh. Is that so?" Kakashi said carelessly as he lifted his cup and…drank the sake neatly through his mask.
The Hokage looked slightly put out.
There was a little wet patch on his mask where his mouth was.
"Tsunade-sama! There you are! I've been searching everywhere for you." Cried Shizunes voice.
Turning Kakashi saw the darkened haired nin approaching looking rather mad. He took this as his queue to escape.
"I'll find you in the morning Tsunade to find out what you're planning for Naruto." Kakashi said to the distracted Hokage.
Getting up, Kakashi made it half way to the door before he heard the Hokage being told off. He was long gone before Tsunade realised Kakashi hadn't paid for their drinks.
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Walking through the dark empty streets Kakashi was lost in thought, oblivious to the warm lights seeping from the shop fronts, tantalizingly bright.
Turning a corner he found himself in front of Hokage tower once again, behind it the sombre faces of the four previous Hokages staring out over their sleeping village.
Something caught his eye.
Stopping, Kakashi stood and stared up at the top of the cliff.
Was it…? There was no mistaking who it was. The orange was apparent even from here. Naruto.
Sighing Kakashi tucked his hands into his pockets as he walked towards the cliff. Once reaching the base of the cliff he simply pressed his foot against the sheer rock and continued walking, just in a slightly more vertical way.
Carefully he avoided walking on the Hokage's faces, walking up along the grooves in between instead. He didn't want to be disrespectful.
He could see Naruto clearly now. The boy was just sitting there in the dark, his face hidden under shadow. It made a very sinister picture. The orange ruined it somewhat.
"Yo Naruto." Kakashi said as he reached the level earth at the top of the cliff, glad to have horizontal ground under his feet again.
Naruto snapped out of his trance like state, looking up at his sensei, his face lit by the moon above.
"This is one of your regular haunts then?" Kakashi asked but remained standing. The boy certainly looked ghost-like. Like some tragic spirit waiting in the night, the moonlight turning him a shade of grey.
"Meh. I don't know if it is. I don't remember it if that's what you mean." Naruto shrugged casually. It was then Kakashi realised that the boy hadn't been deep in thought or in a trance. He'd been asleep. At a top of a cliff. In the dark. Now anyone could tell that wasn't a good idea.
"You were asleep, weren't you?" the jounin asked.
"No."
"Look, I'm going to have to take you home, not just because falling asleep but because Tsunade's got something planned for you tomorrow to try and get your memory so you'll need you rest." Kakashi said casually before reaching out a hand to pull him up.
Taking the offered hand Naruto allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.
"You don't remember learning to climb trees with Sasuke and Sakura by any chance, do you?" Kakashi asked but he thought he already knew the answer.
"I can climb trees." Naruto said unsure of what that had to do with anything.
"With only using charkra from your feet?" Kakashi said.
"Er…no."
"Get on." Kakashi said tuning his back to the boy, watching him over his shoulder. "I'll have to carry you down."
"I walk up and down fine you know." Naruto said stubbornly.
"It'll take too long. Get on."
Uneasily Naruto jumped onto Kakashi's back in a piggy back.
Without warning the jounin turned and simply stepped off the edge of the cliff, falling forwards.
Naruto would have cried out if he could but he was too shocked to move.
Kakashi simply walked back down the sheer cliff with Naruto freaking out slightly on his back.
Once he had righted himself on the ground once again he let Naruto jump off.
"Go home and go to sleep. You'll be dead on you feet otherwise." Kakashi said, about to turn away when the boy called.
"Er…Kakashi-sensei…thanks." Naruto said smiling before walking away in the direction of his home.
Alone again Kakashi allowed his eyelid to droop out of tiredness. It was time he took his own advice and went home. Sighing Kakashi walked through the curtain of darkness as he headed back home.
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Author's Rant:
A little shorter then usual, I know.
p.s. Kakashi's great!