iv. Seven Weeks
A month long mission had Kakashi almost see Konoha's gate a magical entrance to his own heaven where a certain blonde is sitting on his lap reading his Icha Icha Paradise series with him. Uggh heaven…
"Hello, Hagane-san! Kamizuki-san!" Kakashi smiled and waved towards the the Konoha gate guards. He's so much in the most joyous mood today.
It was such a contrast towards his teammates, Rock Lee and Hinata behind him. The younger ones looked okay but the colors on their faces drained. It must have been an exhausting mission because it wasn't easy for a guy like Rock Lee to look nearly battered like this. Hinata can barely look up and smile at the chuunin guards on duty.
While Kakashi sends special waves of love to whoever taking notice of him.
"Oh, Kakashi-san." Hagane waved back at them, "You got back first." He muttered and went back to reading his book, most probably about what Tsunade had ordered them to brief. After all, Hagane and Kamizuki are both chuunin working for the Fifth alongside Iruka.
Kakashi instantly stopped his walking and stared back to Hagane, "Somebody still on the mission?"
"Oh?" Hagane looked up again to the jounin and said, "Ah… Naruto and his team haven't been back yet."
Kakashi's brow crossed. Last month when he, Lee and Hinata left for a joint mission with Kirigakure shinobi, Naruto together with Kiba and Shino have went to a separate joint mission with Sunagakure.
It better not be on the same mission. Kakashi thought because as he remembered, before he left, Naruto has already on that same mission for three weeks. "For another mission?" He inquired hopefully.
"Ow the same one before you left. That's a solid seven weeks now." Kamizuki said.
Damn. Kakashi groaned and he has all the rights to be worried because for once, the simple mission shouldn't take more than three weeks and for the likes of Naruto's calibre and his team mate, it shouldn't even last three weeks. And while he was on the mission in Kiwigakure, joint Intel between five great villages says, there was a mysterious disturbance near the border of Sunagakure.
Kakashi hoped Naruto is not involved in this one. According to the Intel, nobody has yet to verify what causes the disturbances and to what the degree should they see this as a solid threat. As for now, this is an unknown strife that any of the five villages cannot decide who to take action.
Naruto better not think better of himself and see this matter himself. Knowing the man, the possibility is worrisomely huge.
Kakashi found himself in front of the Fifth without the intention of doing his report, rather he would like to know of Naruto's mission's status.
Tsunade was surprised to see Kakashi looking like this. Kakashi seemed agitated for some reason and at the same time, something else. She couldn't point a finger on it. She lengthened her silence that only made Kakashi looked impatient even more. It looked hardly the man she thought Kakashi is. She sighs, "I have heard from the Sunagakure that the mission is done and Naruto, Kiba and Shino are heading back. Five hours at most, they should be here."
"Are you sure?"
Tsunade raised a brow as she added, "Also, Naruto sends a messenger toad every after two days to report. I know what I'm saying."
Kakashi sighs.
Tsunade eyed Kakashi judgingly now. She could just see the guy almost fainting on the floor in relief. "You should know above all people that Naruto is not somebody to be worried for." He's the strongest shinobi this era has known, that brat. People considered him the second God of the Shinobi after grandpa Harashima.
"I'm not worried."
Tsunade made a cackling laugh, "Not worried? Kakashi, you're acting exactly like Iruka!" She pointed out.
She completely understood that most of all people who have grown attached to Naruto have become over protective of him but Kakashi seemed different. Tsunade just can't name it. It maybe because this isn't the first that Kakashi shows affection towards the young man seeing he's the sensei…now…it's just completely different.
"No, I'm not." Kakashi said. "If there's nothing else, I'll go home now, Hokage-sama. I believe I have a few days off?"
Tsunade nodded. "Three days. Your next mission… I'll let you know once I hear back from Kumogakure."
"That's it, then." And in place of Kakashi was chakra smoke and the man is gone.
Kakashi, what are you up to now. The Hokage just groaned, god knows what the young ones are up to nowadays. It better not be trouble again because Kami knows she cannot lived another decade overseeing the whole village with her two potential successors playing cat-and-mouse one moment and… lovers the next.
Lovers… Tsunade jolted up. That's a possibility… And Tsunade's headache doubled up multiple times…argh Kami…it's certainly is trouble. Though it's not that bad and she's not somebody to judge but it wasn't really exactly an easy situation to deal with too.
She prefers for it not to be the case. "Right, Ton-ton?" She eyed the pig on her lap and the animal just made a squeak of approval.
Kakashi didn't like how his ninken is nudging him to wake up. He had summoned the ninken for only one reason and he wouldn't appreciate having woken up for a different one. Opening one eye, he slurred, "What is it now, Bisuke?"
Bisuke scratched his long hanging ear as he yawns out, "Your boy is here." With that said, the ninken disappeared after accomplishing what he was summoned for.
Kakashi took a moment to think through what his ninken meant and then when it finally sank in, he hurriedly put on his mask and went to that strong scent just on the roof of his flat. There he found the sole reason of his day-to-day dilemma sitting straight on top of the roof, completely passed out.
Kakashi sighs, how long are you gonna keep doing this, Naruto? He mentally groaned as he sat beside the young man, concealing his own chakra as he can.
It wasn't the first time he had found Naruto liked this. The first time was half a year after the 4th shinobi war. He realized that same night that Naruto has been doing this quite often since they got back to Konoha after the war –Kurama confessed to him about this.
Apparently, according to Kurama (the kyuubi sometimes comes out and talk to Kakashi when Naruto falls asleep), Naruto gets nightmares at night and there was no curing it. The closest the jinchuriki has to a cure is the comfort the sensei gives him, thus, finding himself near Kakashi's house whenever nightmares strike strong enough to ignore.
Naruto kept it a secret though, he never wanted Kakashi to worry over him.
Kakashi is beyond glad to see the man has safely returned from his seven weeks of mission in the Sand Village. Tsunade wasn't lying when she said Naruto should be back later on the night. It was the reason why Kakashi summoned one of his ninkens, Bisuke, to keep an eye of Naruto just in case, such thing as this would happen. Damn, he was right.
"Kurama," Kakashi whispered.
Instantly, Naruto's chakra went wild and was completely supressed to be replaced with the kyuubi's. "I tried to tell him not disturb you."
"That's alright, Kurama. I had my ninken on the lookout just in case this happens." Kakashi explained. "How was the mission?"
"It was just a diplomatic mission concerning the feudal lord of Wind." Kurama replied.
"You know that's not what I meant." Kakashi heaved a sigh, "I know that the mission went beyond that."
Kurama didn't reply right away and took the shinobi as not a foolish one. "I cannot say anything as of now. I didn't even mention this to Naruto but definitely…"
"Definitely…?"
"Something strange has happened when we were in Sand Village. It was distinct, dangerous but not…how do I say this…not evil. I cannot name the sort of chakra this menace is…familiar but not quite. It's better not to say anything unless I get a better look at it."
Kakashi understood what Kurama meant. Millions old creature like Kurama couldn't understand such mystery, how else could Kakashi be. "What did Naruto say?"
"You know the brat, Kakashi. The slightest hunch can make him go insane. I have to intercept with Naruto's senses just so he can't detect more than I'm allowing him to. Most especially this time. Hell, I won't let him sense this, seeing this more likely could affect his emotions again— Oh sage… I just didn't say that." With that the wise, albeit lose mouthed, of a fox returned to the deepest recesses of Naruto's unconsciousness again, intending to get away from Kakashi in interrogating him now that he said things more than he should.
Damn fox. Kakashi cursed. The fox didn't just disappear after saying to him that this strife could turn bloody in the future and it could surely affect the blonde. Fuck, damn it. What has the world cooked up now? Kakashi thought and grimaced as all he could think of now is possibly Orochimaru again –or Sasuke, perhaps.
He stayed there debating to himself whether to try and reach out to Kurama again or not because he could wake Naruto in the process. He wouldn't want that seeing how worn-out the young man is after just having to return. Seven weeks of a mission is not really all too fun.
An hour has passed when Kakashi decided that this time he will make an exception. Before he would just stay with Naruto all night on the roof until he feels Naruto waking up and that's when he returns to his bed and pretends to be asleep.
This time though, seven weeks of not seeing the blonde, made it all harder to resist the temptation. Not wanting to debate with himself anymore, he stood up and carefully picked the young man and brought him inside his humble size room.
Thanks, Kurama. He thought, realizing that the fox must have helped to subdue Naruto's consciousness so the latter won't wake up while he brings him in. The once demon fox really does care for his jinchuriki.
Kakashi laid Naruto gently on his own bed, the first person to be on Kakashi's bed aside himself. He couldn't help but to be flustered with this fact and how he screams on his mind how that looked so right having the man on his bed.
Yet, he restrained himself.
Kakashi stared at his former student. How much the boy has grown and changed. The cute, clueless lovable genin he once were nearly seven years ago turned into such a handsome delicate man. He's beautiful, if that alone could describe the man. He's beyond admirable and Kakashi could just keep falling for him again and again.
It didn't escape him noticing Naruto sighing the moment his head hit the pillow, the strain in his face while he was asleep on the roof is long gone and is replaced by that small smile of comfort on his face.
Oh that hit Kakashi so hard that his heart ache. How much anxiety does this man carry? And how was Kakashi forsaking the man by not doing this from the first night he found the boy miserably sleeping on his roof?
The amount of pleasure he sees on the boy's sleeping face now does not leave a trace of the anxiety the boy showed earlier.
You're just forever stupid, bakashi.
Kakashi could just hear Obito saying that if the latter could.
He snickered to himself as he pulled out his Icha Icha series collection and sat beside Naruto, back on the wall and resumed reading where he left off earlier. Occasionally, he finds himself staring for quite a long while at the sleeping man on his bed. He would then blush to himself before convincing himself again that he should stop doing that because that is just sick.
Damn it, how could I fall asleep? He asked himself as his grip on the shopping bag tightened. No matter how long he thought about it he couldn't believe he fell asleep. "Idiot, Kakashi." He scolded himself numerous times now.
On his way home from the convenience store, he intentionally walked through the park to think through his actions again.
After falling asleep and woken up noticeably late enough, he noticed right away his bed obviously abandoned. Naruto was already gone and by the traces he left, he was in a hurry. God damn, the boy must have been horrified finding himself on Kakashi's bed.
"…neh, Iruka-sensei."
Kakashi halted and his ears perked up after picking up that voice not far from him. It definitely is none other than the man of his troubles. He found Naruto sitting on the bench next to the chunin, Iruka.
Instinctively, Kakashi turned on his heels. He certainly absolutely surely doesn't want to deal with Iruka now assuming that Naruto had confided about what he woken up to this morning.
Iruka might be a chunin, a class lower than him, but there's nothing this chunin could not do when Naruto is in the equation and all of Kakashi's equation involves Naruto.
He does not want to deal with Iruka exploding on his face, sprouting how could he, as a sensei, take advantage of his innocent son that is Naruto.
Certainly not.
He gently turned around, praying to almighty Kami not today he would let either Iruka or Naruto notice him.
Luckily, two steps successfully taken and yet he had just to realized he jumped to conclusion way too sooner.
Why of all times the Fifth has to have her not-so-often walk right at this moment. It could be earlier today or ten minutes later when Kakashi is in safe distance away from the mother hen that is Iruka.
"Oh I see, Kakashi. I assumed you've met Naruto?" Tsunade a little loudly asked, a smile on her lips with twinkling eyes to match. "See how a Hokage does not lie? Very trustworthy."
Kakashi could just vanish on his chakra smoke at this moment but felt stupid that he should have thought of that way before Tsunade had found him. And definitely not now when he could just sense Naruto and Iruka had both seen him.
Tsunade walked pass him, expecting him to follow her and Kakashi could not argue this time.
He tightened his grip to his shopping bag as he follows the woman. The woman took the space in between her brat and Iruka, ruffling the brat's golden hair. "You should start doing your reports and not rely on your teammates, brat!" Her grip now tightening as she warns the young man.
"Baa-chan, stop." Naruto whined and looked up to Kakashi and then turned away, hiding his face.
Now, there's the awkwardness. Bravo, Kakashi. That's just how to do it. He groaned to himself.
Of course, this exchange didn't go unnoticed by the hokage. "Boy, that's not the way to treat your sensei. A hello would do." Tsunade barked on Naruto. She then added, "Do you know how he literally went nuts finding out you haven't been back from your mission yesterday?"
Naruto hesitantly looked up to Kakashi again but it didn't last long as the boy looked away and just stared at Iruka instead. If Kakashi isn't as disoriented, he would have noticed the tiny tinge of blush on Naruto's face.
Great, this just proves it. Tsunade grimaced to herself as her fear increases just having to notice this display. Even still, she cared both for these two young men that she wishes they could sort their feelings soon enough. So the damn Kakashi could finally take the 'effin hat!
Tsunade rose up and looked down to Iruka who had a firm line on his lips. I see I wasn't the only one who noticed. She realized but she muttered, "Iruka, we are going to Genma now. I have things very important I need to discuss with him."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Iruka unwillingly stood up and looked at Naruto, "I'll see you around, ne?" And a lingering grim look towards Kakashi that brought cold shivers down his spine.
It was like an impending eruption of a volcano that has stayed dormant for a century. Kakashi is so dead.
"Naruto," Tsunade eyed her brat, "You looked like you needed some good amount of vegetable. Kakashi might be able to help you with that." With that Tsunade walked away with Iruka behind her.
Naruto eyed Kakashi's shopping bag and realized that the baa-chan is right. He huffs, "I don't like vegetable."
Kakashi didn't say anything, or rather, he couldn't think of anything to say.
"But I do need to talk to you…" Naruto said and stood up, walking away and then turns to Kakashi, "Dinner in yours?" He asked over his shoulder.
Kakashi was nailed on his feet but gradually nodded as he walked towards Naruto.
They walked towards Kakashi's house silently and Kakashi couldn't help but to speculate hundreds of possibilities of what might Naruto wanted to talk about. Certainly about this morning, right? Or maybe about something else, besides, Naruto is the number one shinobi of surprises, nobody could actually fully grasp how the man's mind work.
He just has to find out what's in store for him.