Disclaimer: "Naruto" does not belong to me, I don't earn any money with this stories, and the owners' rights are of course not touched in any way.

Neither me nor Suigetsu slept long, as we were used to rising early and could not break our habit even when we had only had a few hours of sleep. Juugo got up with us, refreshed and ready for new adventures – and quite surprised when he saw Sasuke and Naruto lying side by side. When we realized that he had been staring at them for some minutes, Suigetsu and myself went to him to make him leave them alone, although, I must admit, they looked really sweet: Naruto lay on his back as usual, Sasuke was on his side, curled up, as he used to as a child, but his head was resting on Naruto's shoulder and his arm was lying over his belly.

I carefully covered them with the blanket.

„What happened?" Juugo asked.

„Well, as it seems, they fell in love", Suigetsu answered.

„They've always been, haven't they?" Juugo replied.

It took me a while until I understood about Juugo's fate that had driven him to seek loneliness and even the safety of a prison cell out of fear of killing others because in spite of his homicidal impulses he had a gentle heart and did not want to hurt anyone. He loved being among people and the time spent with Sasuke's team had been the happiest of his life, just because he was allowed to be with them. Talking to Sakura as if he was a normal person had been the heavenly bliss to him.

The girls got up when breakfast was ready, both were rather silent. I understood that they had to cope with the new situation. Well, the rest of us had as well.

I was already fearing that it would be too late to test Sasuke's skills today as I had planned, when the boys joined us.

„Ah, our two little lovebirds are awake", Suigetsu said. „I assume that killing Itachi takes second priority now."

„It does not", Sasuke replied. „Naruto is not safe as long as Itachi is on the loose. Today you may test my capacity, Kakashi, and see how strong I have become."

„After you have had breakfast."

He did push me to my limits, but he did not get the bell.

„You were quite good anyway", Naruto said. „When Sakura and myself fought him, he gave us more time, until dawn, and we needed it all."

„I guessed that you did not want to fight that long", I said. „I guessed that you had other plans for the night. Besides, I am exhausted now myself and need to take a break."

„Ah, I got you tired! Eh, Suigetsu, you see, I am still a hawk and not some cute little bird!"

„Hawks are also birds", Suigetsu answered without looking up from what he was doing – preparing supper together with Sakura. „Though come to think of it - you are not a hawk. A cute little kestrel maybe."

I had put it off all day, but now that dusk was about to fall, I had to face the fact that if I did not talk to the boys, nobody would.

I asked them to come to some place where we would not be heard by the rest of the team, and they followed reluctantly, their expressions saying clearly that they would listen to what I had to say, but that they would only follow my advice if they liked it.

„Next time", I said, „get out of earshot. The rest of us need their sleep. And for the girls the situation is difficult enough as it is, you don't have to cause them more harm than necessary – or unavoidable."

They relaxed.

„I never told them to fall in love with me", Sasuke said. „And I never encouraged them."

„I know."

„We thought that you would tell us to stop it", Naruto said. „That you would say that it is too dangerous."

„Well, don't get too absorbed. A true shinobi never lets his guard drop completely. But I suppose you know that."

„We do."

„So that's settled" I said, looking with horror at what else I had to tell them.

„We feared that you would tell us to stop it altogether", Sasuke said, „as our behaviour is not what is fitting to a true shinobi."

„Well, we are human after all, just as anyone else. Your father, Sasuke, was a very strong shinobi, and still he and your mother somehow managed to have you."

„That's not what we mean."

„Well, I admit, normally we don't do it on missions but prefer the privacy of our homes, but I thought that in your case an exception is okay. Just get out of earshot."

„That's still not what we meant."

I gave in.

„Look, you are the strongest shinobi of your generation, and if you manage to survive to become men, you may surpass the legendary sannin" - Sasuke had already defeated Orochimaru, I remembered - „and that you share your blankets does not change anything. If Suigetsu calls you little lovebirds, he is referring to your perseverance when it comes to kissing, not to your fighting skills."

„Oh, well"

„Maito Gai is gay, and noone would consider him weak."

„Oh, is he?" Naruto said.

„And he told you about it?" Sasuke added.

„He tells me about it all the time. Every six months I have to listen to him because he has a boyfriend and cannot stop talking about how wonderful he is and how much they love each other and that this time it will last, and several months later I have to listen to him again, because they broke up for this or that reason and he is despairing and tells me that he will never fall in love again, until after some more time it starts all over. That's why he is always so wound up."

„We won't do that", Naruto said. „We'll stay together and be happy for the rest of our lives."

If Sasuke loses against Orochimaru, I thought, then this may even become true.

I still dreaded the worst part. Which fate had cursed me with two boys who had no parents and who had spent their early adolescence not with other teenagers, as they should have done, but with Orochimaru, where Sasuke had probably not learnt anything at all, or with Jiraya, where Naruto had probably learnt all the wrong things.

„Listen" - I felt really arkward. „We all heard what you said yesterday – if you ever happen to change your mind – don't forget to use condoms – and perhaps some lubricant – you get fancy ones at a sexshop, where you are not allowed to enter, as you are minors, but you get normal ones at a drugstore as well, or at a pharmacy – it's one of the things Jiraya never mentions in his novels. They are fun to read, but they are not about real life."

„I may not be the brightest tool in the shed", Naruto said, „but I am not a complete idiot either. I did notice that Jiraya never slept with a woman without paying her."

That was a detail about Jiraya's life I had not really wanted to know.

„We know about condoms", Naruto continued. „We have not spent all our life in some hermit's retreat or some villain's lair."

I could not remember them ever blowing up one until it bursted, or filling it with water until it tore under the weight, but maybe I had just not noticed.

„But it's interesting that you know where to get the fancy ones", Sasuke added. „I would not have imagined that."

„Where do you think does he get his books from", Naruto told him.

„Well, then, everything is fine", I said, feeling really embarrassed and stupid now. „Just get out of earshot next time." I got up.

„Kakashi", Sasuke suddenly said, calling me back. „I had thought that you would advise me to concentrate on the fight against Itachi.

„No", I answered. „Actually I am happy that you have found something to distract you from it. Enjoy yourselves!" I added and left.