A/N Please read and review. Much appreciated xx

Kakashi snuck a glance at the mess of a man beside him. The silence between them was getting awkward but neither man was in the mood to talk.

Finally Naruto spoke.
Looking at Kakashi with big emotionless orbs he said
"So what brings you here? I'm guessing you're on a mission."
Kakashi didn't have the heart to tell him that he had been sent to kill the kids once best friend so he crinkled his eye in a phony smile and replied "Yes, easy mission really. Just tracking down a stray ninja"
Naruto half smiled but it looked strained and uncomfortable and then looked back down at the dirty bar.
"What must you think of me? I couldn't save one friend and I heard what he did to the leaf. I can never show my face there again. I'm not worthy of being a shinobi. Sasuke was right. I am a loser"
The older ninja heard a faint slurring in the younger man's voice and watched him gulp down another drink. He sighed. Is this what his promising young student had become?

"I understand how you feel Naruto."
Naruto cocked his head in curiosity and watched his sensei. Waiting..
"When I look at you all I can think of is my own failures. I failed you Naruto and I failed Sasuke and I'm sorry. You are a great ninja and the village needs you. You are not a loser. The village thinks of you as a hero. Why do you care so much about what Sasuke thinks of you?"

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows in response. Why did he care so much what Sasuke thought of him. That was something even he had never figured out.

"You know some people think you may have had stronger emotions for him then you let on" Kakashi said coyly looking at Naruto out of the corner of his eye for his response but surprisingly Naruto didn't react. Just continued staring at the bar.
"If that is indeed the case and you did have feelings for him you need to try and move on" he said gently "Because you are one of the greatest ninjas the leaf village has ever seen and only you can protect us from Sasuke. Getting caught up in your emotions is not the way of the shinobi" Kakashi said hypocritically.

A long silence followed Kakashis words. Kakashi watched as Naruto fiddled with his empty glass and ordered yet another drink. He looked lost in thought as he sipped on his fresh drink figuring out a way to respond.

"Sensei…how would I know if I did have feelings for him…ya know like more than a friend?"
Kakashi smiled a genuine smile at his awkwardness. He had always been fond of Naruto and it was so good to see him again. Even if it was like this.. in a dingy bar both drowning in their sorrows.

"Well I suppose the obvious way to recognize it would be if you've had um sexual thoughts about him" Kakashi stuttered in a very un Kakashi-like manner.

The scruffy man laughed bitterly in response.
"That wouldn't tell me anything. I am truly Pervy Sages student after all.
I have had those kind of thoughts about pretty much everyone.
Yes I have thought about Sasuke like that, and Sakura.
and even you Sensei"

Naruto laughed in a way which sounded to Kakashi exactly how Jiraiya used to laugh,
exaggerated and fake sounding.
The similarities haunted Kakashi sending chills down his spine.

Boy he must really be hurting even more then he's letting on.
It pained the shinobi to see a former student like this looking so close to how Kakashi felt except Kakashi was much better at concealing the pain in his heart.

"Come on Naruto let's get you back eh?" he smiled warmly.
"Uhh where too?" Naruto stammered.
"My hotel"
Kakashi grabbed a very drunk Naruto Uzamaki by his arm and dragged him down from the stool.
His mission had just got very complicated indeed.