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

In the evening when we had assembled around the camp fire in order to eat Sasuke felt the need to speak to us.

„I want to thank you all for what you did for me – that you came with me to help and support me in my quest to kill Itachi, even though there was nothing to gain in it for you – that you came just out of love for me."

He went around our small circle and embraced us: Juugo, who had to bow down, the two kunoichis with whom he still felt uncomfortable, Suigetsu, who said: „Who would not love you, cute little kestrel" and finally, before he sat down next to Naruto again, me.

For the first time I noticed that he was now only a few centimetres smaller than I was, and that it would remain like this until we were both old men.

We stopped all training except for the small exercises to keep body and soul in good shape.

„You are strong and you know a lot of jutsus and are able to use them", I said. „Now you need to relax."

He did – all of us did – I realized it when one day I tried to make them move faster so that we might reduce the distance to Kisame and Itachi.

I started with waking them up early so that we could set out early, but when they prepared breakfast it took them half an hour that was mainly spent not on working, but on having fun: Suigetsu openly courted Sakura, Juugo tried to get his share of her attention, Karin joined in to support Sakura against Suigetsus teasing remarks.

It had become their normal way to prepare breakfast. Having been busy training with Sasuke I had not noticed it.

„Everything is ready", Suigetsu finally announced. „Only our little lovebirds are still missing."

„I will wake them up", Sakura said.

„That's what I imagined", Suigetsu answered. „You'd love to stir them up from their sweet embraces. I think it's better if I do it."

„And you are hoping that they will invite you to join in", Karin said.

After some more discussions they decided that Karin and Sakura would go together. In fifty metres distance they found the boys – we did not see anything, but we heard them.

„Get up, you lazy bastards! Breakfast is ready!"

„What? Already?" Naruto said.

„Kakashi made us get up early."

„Yes? What for?"

„He did not tell – now get up! The tea is getting cold."

„It's far too early", Sasuke said.

The next line of conversation was lost to us, but then we heard Naruto shout: „Hey! Leave that blanket alone! Let go! Stop!"

After some more five minutes the girls returned to the camp, the boys following some steps behind. This was not the day when we would catch Itachi, I decided.

Still we might be able to reduce the distance. I tried to make them go quickly.

The result was that after every kilometre we had to stop and wait for the boys: They were fast walkers, but not when they were walking with their arms around each others' shoulders and stopping every now and then to kiss.

When we stopped to take a break at noon, they disappeared immediately. This time I sent Juugo to fetch them when lunch was ready, but it took him just as long as it had taken Karin and Sakura in the morning.

„I had to wait for an appropriate moment", he explained.

„Fortunately even our lovebirds cannot live on love and air alone", Suigetsu said. „Or we would not see them ever again."

„Just admit it, you are gay yourself", Karin said.

„And if I were? But you should have noticed already that in my eyes, Sakura is the cutest little bird there is, while you are just an ugly, meager crow."

„Try to be a bit nicer to a pretty young woman", I said without thinking. They all looked at me in astonishment.

„Wow, Kakashi, I had always thought that you are only into books", Naruto replied.

I hoped that even if we could not reduce the distance to Kisame and Itachi, we might at least cover a greater distance than we had done on the days before, but when I wanted to set off again after lunch, my hope crumbled, because again we had to look for the boys. This time I sent Suigetsu, who simply said: „Get up, little birds!" and brought them with him.

We stopped rather early when Suigetsu and Sakura told me that quite nearby there was a really good spot to spend the night at. Having moved in circles, we knew the area quite well by now.

We had gone farther than normal by about some fifty percent. Itachi and Kisame had easily evaded us, moving sidewards again.

They caught some hares in a trap, and I did not trust my ears when I heard Sakura and Suigetsu discuss quite seriously which herbs to cook it with. As it turned out, they had chosen this spot because of its variety of herbs, not because of the protection it offered for the night.

This time I did not care to send anyone to fetch Naruto and Sasuke. They turned up by themselves, one minute after we had begun to eat: after all, they were still fifteen-year-old boys.

„Wow, Sakura, did you do this?" Naruto said when he had tasted the food. „I did not know that you could cook like this! Why did you cook like this before when we were on a mission by ourselves?

„Because for cooking as well as for every other mission she needs a partner who supports and values her", Suigetsu said.

„But I do value good cooking", Naruto said. „It's just that I cannot cook myself!"

„You might learn", Sakura said.

„This mission should be a good opportunity", Karin added.

„What? Why?"

„We have had enough of you", Sakura said. „We are doing all this for you, and you only turn up for the meals and vanish as soon as you have eaten."

„Yes, what's the matter with it?"

„We think that you should take your share of the work."

„But I cannot cook!"

„You can learn it!"

„Or do the washing up", Karin joined in.

„Now, what's that! Sasuke and myself are doing our share of the work! We are going to fight Itachi! That requires higher skills and is more dangerous and more important than all the cooking and washing up!"

„Oh, is it? We can well live without fighting Itachi, but we cannot live without food."

„Anyway, it's Sasuke who's going to do the fighting, not you. You are just going to let yourself be protected."

„What? No, I'm not! I am vital to this mission!"

„Still you could do your share of the work! Seducing Sasuke and being his lover is not enough!"

„What? No! That's not true! I did not seduce him! It just happened!"

„You know pretty well that you seduced him, looking at him with your big blue eyes like a doe, pleading to him to protect you!"

„I did not plead to him to protect me! I was happy to be with him again, that's all! You were happy as well!"

„But I did not lose my mind! I stood up to him! I spoke for you! I cared for you! You did not think of me for one minute!"

„I did. I came to you with Kakashi to sensure that you would be allowed to go!"

„Wow, thanks a lot for sacrificing yourself for me and taking the place at Sasuke's side!"

„I did not take it! It just happened."

„You did! What happened to your promise of a lifetime that you would bring Sasuke back to me?"

„I never promised you to bring him back to you! I promised you to bring him back to Konoha, that's all!"

I let them go on for some minutes, then I intervened and made sure that in the future Sasuke and Naruto would do their share of the cooking and washing up.