Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I don't make any money with the story, the rights of the owners are not touched by this in any way.

They had neither fettered nor gagged Sakura, and we found her talking animatedly to the second man among Sasuke's team-mates. Sasuke himself and the kunoichi sat a few metres away from them, watching them silently.

When he saw us, he jumped up:

„What's this?" he shouted. „We had agreed that we would invite Naruto to join us – not Kakashi."

„Calm down", Suigetsu said. „He wanted to see whether his little boy will be safe with you."

„You are still a child", Sasuke said to Naruto. „Not able to judge for yourself."

Naruto looked at him but he did not let himself be provoked. To tell the truth, both him and me were too overcome with our feelings to think or say anything.

„And he wanted to see whether his other little boy was faring well."

Sasuke stared first at him, then at me. Sakura giggled.

„In fact I mostly wanted to make sure that Sakura gets safely back to our camp", I said.

Sasuke still stared.

„I must apologize for my young captain", Suigetsu said. „He is a very powerful shinobi, but otherwise still a boy, and he has not yet learnt how to behave appropriately on an occasion like this. So let me first introduce the rest of our team to you: This is Karin, this is Juugo."

I introduced Naruto and myself, then we were invited to sit down and share their meal with them. Juugo and Suigetsu prepared the food, Sakura helped them to my great surprise, and Karin too helped after having been asked to do so several times. Sasuke watched and grumbled, none of his team-mates dared to ask him to help.

The situation seemed absurd. A few hours ago we had been pursuing them, one hour ago they had taken Sakura and Hinata captive – now they were treating us as guests, and Sakura had already made friends with one of them.

Maybe it was because everything seemed clear: I would return with Sakura, and Naruto would stay. I recalled our original mission: Find Sasuke and take him back to Konoha. There must be a way to convince him, I thought, a way that did not include binding him and bringing them there by force.

He joined our circle only when the food was ready.

„So now, what exactly did you come for, Kakashi?" he said. „Talk me into returning to Konoha, just as Sakura tried to?"

„I would like to, but I won't do it, as it is pretty pointless. And neither will I try to force you to go back."

„I would advise you not to try."

I pretended not to hear. „It is as Suigetsu said. I want to know whether I can trust you to protect Naruto.

„Can't he judge for himself?"

„You know pretty well that he cannot. He has agreed to join you because he wants to be with you again. He does not ask whether you are able to protect him. He thinks that he can well defend himself."

„Against Itachi? He would be a fool if he really thinks so."

Silently I agreed to him.

„You would be a fool if you think that you can protect him. Only one of the same blood can defeat Itachi."

„Sasuke, noone ever doubted that you could defeat Itach when you are a grown-up man. But judging from your behaviour, you are still a child. I think that I will stay with you to ensure Naruto's safety."

He turned to Suigetsu: „What did I tell you? We had agreed that we wanted to ask Naruto to join us – noone else. Now see the mess you have got us into! I should never have agreed to ambushing the Leaf."

„Sasuke", Suigetsu answered calmly, „you still don't know how to behave. This is Hatake Kakashi, one of the most famous Shinobi of our time, and he is actually offering you his help. You don't turn down an offer like this."

Sasuke did not answer.

„The three of us have agreed to help you hunt down and kill your brother because you have freed us from Orochimaru and we are grateful for this, and because of this or that personal reason. We have not agreed to die because in your vanity and pride you refuse to accept the help of your former master. You were his master, weren't you? You killed Zabuza, who was my teacher before he was banned from Kirigakure."

„In the end he was killed by the people of the wave country, but yes, it was me and my team who defeated him."

He looked first at Sasuke, then at Naruto, then at me, and I could see how in his mind he was grouping us together into one team.

„Wasn't there a fourth team member, a girl?" he asked.

„Yes, indeed. You are sitting next to her."

„Oh. I should have guessed. Be welcome once again", he said to her.

„What are you doing? You are not going to invite her to join us as well?" Sasuke said.

„Why not? Some female charms might brighten our lonely evenings."

„So what about me?" Karin said.

„You don't even try to be charming. Perhaps, if you tried, I might learn to like you better."

„You don't know what you ask!" Sasuke said. „Sakura is even worse than Karin. Harassing me all the time."

Now in spite of all their assurances that they did not intend to hurt her, he had managed to do exactly this.

„I wish I had your problems, boy", Suigetsu said. „Keeping such a beautiful girl at a distance."

„And besides, she is completely useless."

„It's you who don't know her", I intervened, and I realized that instead of making sure that Sakura would be let go, I was now pleading that she might stay. „She has been training under Tsunade, and now she is a very proficient medical ninja."

„Karin is a medical ninja as well."

„Well, I for my part would prefer to be treated by a medical ninja who has not carried out any experiments under Orochimaru. - So this is settled, Sasuke. You have your old team with you again, together with us, our new team. You should thank them. You have not even thanked Naruto."

For the first time since we had arrived, Sasuke looked Naruto into the eyes. For a few seconds he was able to bear the eye contact, then he turned without having said a word.

„I will have to inform Yamato", I said.