AN: So, I hope you enjoyed the action in the first chapter because there isn't going to be anymore fighting for a while. But, things will be getting a little more interesting! Also, keep in mind that the way I'm writing Team 7 is how I wish they would have acted toward each other, so there will be fluff and actual displays of affection! After all, the purpose of this story is to explore the Team 7 dynamic.

Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto, not me!

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Chapter 2

Kakashi sat on the soft grass with his back to a sturdy maple tree. His breaths were coming in short gasps and he needed a few seconds of rest to recover. For the past few hours, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had attacked him nonstop. Finally, after Kakashi had defeated what seemed like thousands of Naruto's shadow clones, countered dozens of Sakura's genjutsu's, and turned aside numerous lightening-speed attacks from Sasuke, the three genin had run out of chakra. Indeed, all three of his students were collapsed on the ground, completely winded. Naruto was the only one who was having any success at movement, but all he could do was rise to one knee before collapsing once more.

However, true to his nature, the knuckle-headed blonde refused to give up and again tried to stand. "I can still move… C'mon Sasuke… Sakura… we have to get up!"

To Kakashi's surprise, both Sasuke and Sakura also began to stand upon seeing their teammate's determination. Realizing that they would only exhaust their chakra to a dangerous level, Kakashi knew he had to stop them.

"Alright you three, that's enough. You're obviously out of chakra so how about a truce?"

As expected, Kakashi received three very different responses to his offer. Sakura, bless her heart, sighed in relief and immediately sank to the ground. Kakashi couldn't believe that she had been able to keep up with Naruto and Sasuke for as long as she had. Her chakra reserves had obvious grown, but it most likely was her refusal to be left out that had kept her going.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Kakashi, clearly expressing his annoyance at his teacher for halting the training. With the smallest shake of his head, Kakashi refused Sasuke's silent plea to push himself further. The raven-haired boy scowled in response, but lowered his eyes in grudging acceptance. Sasuke had become obsessed with increasing his stamina in order to pull off a third Chidori without relying on Orochimaru's curse mark. Too often, the curse mark showed signs of taking over, and would have if not for Kakashi's seal and Sasuke's improved control over it. Sasuke needed to learn patience, enhanced chakra reserves took years to mature. Unfortunately, patience was not high on Sasuke's list of priorities. Actually, most of the time, Sasuke seemed to only have one priority… obtaining power for the sole purpose of revenge. Sasuke reminded Kakashi too much of himself during his youth and that worried him. And yet, Sasuke had shown signs of change… More and more, without realizing it, Sasuke had displayed his true feelings about his teammates. He cared about them, thought of them as comrades, and wanted to protect them from the same fate that had claimed his clan. Kakashi recognized that he could only provide guidance and a voice of reason for his conflicted student. So, Kakashi had to rely on the hope that as long as Sakura and Naruto were around, Sasuke would put aside his revenge, at least until he had achieved the strength needed to succeed.

Speaking of Naruto, the blonde had managed to stand, but he was still breathing heavily and Kakashi could see the boy's knees shaking with the effort. Still, when Naruto raised his eyes to meet those of his sensei, Kakashi saw no trace of defeat.

"This isn't over yet, Sensei! Let's go one more round… I'm sure to win this time!"

Rolling his eyes at his mule-headed student, Kakashi took a different approach. "Naruto, YOU may be able to stand, but I'm not sure I can get up right now, so give your sensei a break for once, eh?"

"You hear that, Sasuke? We managed to beat Kakashi-sensei!" Pumping his fist in the air, Naruto somehow found the energy to do a celebratory dance. "Alright, with this victory, I'll be Hokage in no… time…" Naruto's words trailed off, whatever strength he had remaining was suddenly gone as the young ninja fell backwards in utter exhaustion.

In a flash, Kakashi was there, catching his student before Naruto could fall to the ground. Smiling fondly at the unconscious boy, Kakashi laid Naruto down gently. "Hmmm, I think being Hokage will have to wait for just a little longer."

Kakashi turned to his other two students. "Alright, rest up until Naruto wakes and then we'll head out to camp for the night. I know a great spot just a couple miles from here."

Sasuke just grunted in acknowledgement, but Sakura shot Kakashi an accusing glare. "There had better be fresh water there, Sensei! I need to get all this mud off me!"

Chuckling sympathetically, Kakashi gave her a thumbs-up. "You think I would have planned that trap if there wasn't? Relax, there's a nice spring there so we can all clean up."

Sakura just sniffed haughtily in reply. "Hmph." Obviously too tired to argue further, she leaned back and closed her eyes. But, before she drifted off to sleep, Kakashi heard her mumble, "I'm sure you would have done it anyway." Sakura apparently still hadn't quite forgiven him. Ah, well. She'll get over it soon.

Seeing his three students resting peacefully, Kakashi's own eyes felt heavy. He needed sleep too, but he knew Naruto would wake soon and there wasn't much daylight left. They would need to move out within the hour, especially since they were much too close to the border with the Land of Earth for Kakashi's liking. Stone shinobi still considered themselves at war with the Leaf despite numerous peace treaties over the years. Even though Team 7's recent escort mission of a Land of Earth diplomat to the Village Hidden in the Stones had gone perfectly, Kakashi had eyed every Stone shinobi they came across with mistrust. Any mission to the Land of Earth always made Kakashi uneasy, but he would rest easier when they put a few more miles between themselves and the border upon reaching the campsite he had in mind. So to pass the time, Kakashi pulled out Make Out Violence and engrossed himself in tales of love in a world where there was no such thing as war.

One hour later

The sun was just starting to set when a weary Team 7 walked through a small forest to reach a clearing. Sakura and Naruto gasped in wonder at the sight of a small, but beautiful waterfall that formed a lake at the base of a knoll. Soft, green grass surrounded them, and the setting sun cast a warm, orange glow across the scene.

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei, this place is gorgeous!" exclaimed Sakura in an awed voice.

Kakashi just smiled at the sight of one of his favorite camping spots. "Welcome to the Grass Haven."

"The Grass Haven?" questioned Naruto.

"Yup, this place has been called that by Leaf shinobi for as long as I can remember," answered Kakashi. "We can relax here; it's well protected by our Grass allies."

The Land of Grass had always been allies with the Leaf and had set up many places like this one where Leaf shinobi could rest safely. Kakashi couldn't count the number of times he had taken refuge here after tough battles along the Earth border during the 3rd Great Ninja War.

Giving Kakashi a pleading look, Sakura sighed, "That waterfall looks like pure heaven right now…"

Chuckling, Kakashi gave his female student a gentle push. "Go on and wash up, Sakura. We'll take care of setting up camp."

"Yes! You're the best, Sensei!" And just like that all is forgiven. Tossing her pack aside, the mud covered kunoichi ran towards the waterfall. Unfortunately, there wasn't very much shelter around the spring. Realizing this, Sakura spun around and shouted, "You guys had better not peek!"

Naruto waved back with an idiotic grin. "Don't worry, Sakura! I'll stand guard!"

"Like I could trust you!" Sakura retorted. "Sensei, get Naruto outta here!"

Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the collar. "Alright, come on, you. Let's give Sakura some well deserved privacy."

"Hey, lemme go! I'm not the one who reads porn in public! " Squirming, Naruto couldn't break free of Kakashi's strong grip, so the silver-haired jonin simply dragged his unruly student away from what was soon to be a prime viewing spot for perverts like Jiraiya.

Kakashi led Naruto and Sasuke around the base of the knoll where there was a fire pit already dug out surrounded by several sitting rocks. No words were needed as the three of them began their usual routine for setting up camp. Naruto quickly claimed the largest rock as his own and then began laying out their camping gear. The blond was soon scouting for the softest patch of grass, but when he found the spot that met his standards, he unrolled Sakura's sleeping bag instead of his own. Kakashi smiled inwardly at that and wondered if Sakura would pick up on it. For as loud and boastful as he was, Naruto sometimes surprised Kakashi with his subtle gestures of kindness that often went unnoticed.

Meanwhile, Sasuke already had a small fire started and was preparing to heat water for their dinner. Naruto would be the only one truly happy with instant ramen, but all of Team 7 was so used it by now that there would be no complaints.

While the two boys finished their tasks, Kakashi made quick rounds of the perimeter making sure the site was properly protected. Since the Grass Haven was often used by shinobi, there were already well placed traps and alarms set up. Seeing nothing suspicious, Kakashi returned to the fire to find Naruto impatiently waiting for the water to boil.

"Naruto, mixing your drool with the water won't make it boil any faster," Kakashi said as he took his seat by the fire. "Don't you ever get sick of ramen?"

"Nope! Nothing gives me more energy than a good bowl of ramen!" Naruto was now rubbing his hands together eagerly as Sasuke readied four bowls.

"The last thing you need is more energy, Naruto." Sakura added as she came up behind them.

"She's got that right," muttered Sasuke. Hearing him, Naruto made a fist and growled at the Uchiha. In response, Sasuke just coolly raised an eyebrow at his teammate and held out a steaming bowl of ramen. Anger completely forgotten, the blond snatched the bowl out of Sasuke's hands and proceeded to stuff his mouth full of noodles.

Chuckling at their antics, Kakashi turned to look at his female student and remarked, "Nice to see you looking human again, Sakura."

The kunoichi ran a brush through her now wet hair and sat on her bedroll with her legs crossed. "The water really felt wonderful. You guys should clean up too." Stifling a giggle, she added, "Especially you, Sensei. You still have flowers in your hair!"

"I do? I thought you guys said I got them all out during the hike over here!" Damn kids…

Naruto was trying not to spill his ramen as he failed to contain his laughter. "Haha, you should know better than to believe us, Kakashi-sensei!" Even Sasuke wore a small grin at Kakashi's expense.

Kakashi gave his amused students a threatening look. "You guys had better watch it. If you tell anyone about this, I'll make you train with Guy when we get back to Konoha."

That took the smirk right off Sasuke's face.

Sakura, however, knew his threat was an empty one and continued giggling. "Oh, come on, Sensei. What would you do all day if we weren't around?"

Point taken… what would I do without these brats to look after? Since the day he had allowed the three onto his first genin team, Kakashi's life had been far more interesting. Even though he sometimes felt more like their babysitter than their sensei, Kakashi savored the times that the three could act like the children they were. Those times were coming fewer and farther between though. They had already grown so much, it wouldn't be much longer that Kakashi could protect them from being drafted into more dangerous missions. The chunin exams had shown the village how strong his team was. That strength would not be wasted. Luckily, all out war with the Sand had been avoided when it was found out that Orochimaru murdered the Kazekage. Kakashi hoped with all his heart that his three students would not be thrown into a war as young genin… like he himself had been.

Kakashi shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was surprised that no one had questioned his lack of response. Looking around, he saw all three genin enjoying their ramen dinner in a comfortable silence. Seeing a still hot bowl of ramen sitting in front of him, Kakashi realized that the three young ninja had acknowledged his need for peace and quiet to think. Inwardly chastising himself for ruining the cheerful atmosphere, Kakashi picked up his ramen and pulled out his chopsticks.

As usual, as soon as he made a move to eat, three pairs of eyes surreptitiously glanced toward him. Even though his students knew Kakashi used a genjutsu to conceal his face when eating, they always hoped they could catch a glimpse of his unmasked face. Not today, kids… sometime soon though, when you're ready to understand the reason I wear it.

Finishing his meal quickly, Kakashi started cleaning up the dishes. Naruto and Sasuke were eating their second bowls and Sakura was tying up her hair in preparation for bed. After stoking the fire, Kakashi lay down on his bedroll and admired the clear view of the star-lit sky.

"Sensei?"

Kakashi turned his head toward Sakura, who had also lain down to enjoy the view of the night sky. "Hmm?"

"What were you thinking about before? You totally zoned out." Sakura sat up and looked at him with concerned green-eyes. At hearing Sakura's question, Naruto and Sasuke both put aside their now empty ramen bowls and also glanced at Kakashi with interest.

"Oh, well…" Kakashi had to stop himself from simply waving off the question with a smile and assurance that it was nothing. They deserved an honest answer after working so hard training earlier. Returning his gaze to the sky, Kakashi answered in a low voice. "Actually, I was thinking about how you all are growing up so fast. Your strength will soon be Konoha's greatest…" Hesitating for a moment, Kakashi debated his next word, "…defense."

"You meant to say weapon, didn't you." Sasuke didn't say it as a question.

Inwardly cursing Sasuke's perceptiveness, Kakashi chose to stay silent. He should have kept his mouth shut to begin with. Naruto was now staring gloomily into the fire and a hardened look had entered Sasuke's dark eyes. Way to go Hatake… so much for protecting their childhood.

"Sensei?" Again, Kakashi turned toward Sakura, this time readying false words of comfort. To his surprise, the pink-haired girl wore a small smile and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Anyone ever tell you that you think too much?"

Totally taken aback, all Kakashi could do was scratch his head in bemusement. "Um, no?"

"Well, you do." Standing up, Sakura grabbed her hairbrush and walked purposefully over to where Kakashi lay. With hands on her hips, the kunoichi bent over to glare into her teacher's lone black eye. "Sit up, Sensei."

Completely confused, Kakashi just stared back at his female student. "Uh, why?"

Sakura waggled the purple hairbrush in his face. "So I can get the flowers out of your hair, silly!"

Too stunned to protest, Kakashi complied and moved into a cross-legged position. Sakura knelt behind him and began brushing out his silver hair. Well, isn't this humiliating… One glance at Naruto and Sasuke made Kakashi wince inwardly. I'm never going to live this one down. Sure enough, Naruto was staring openmouthed at the sight of Sakura trying to run a hairbrush through his teacher's unruly silver hair. Sasuke's left eyebrow was twitching in utter disgust.

Suddenly, the brush got stuck in a particularly nasty knot, forcing Sakura to lose her grip. At the sight of the purple hairbrush held up by only Kakashi's poofy hair, Naruto completely lost it and fell to the ground roaring in laughter.

Glaring at Naruto, Sakura wrenched the brush free of the knot without warning. Kakashi hadn't felt anything quite so painful in a long while. "OUCH! What are you trying to do, pull my hair out?"

"Don't be a baby, Kakashi-sensei." But, before Sakura could entangle the evil purple brush into his hair again, Kakashi scooted away from his student.

At the sight of his sensei shying away from the pink-haired girl in something resembling fear, Sasuke put a hand over his eyes. "Konoha's Copy Ninja, afraid of a hairbrush," the raven-haired boy muttered in disbelief.

Of course, Kakashi heard him, and he shot the Uchiha a look that could kill. "I'd like to see how long you could stand up to this torture."

"Oh quit your whining, Sensei. Look, I won't use the brush anymore. I'll just pick the few remaining ones out by hand." Sakura put the brush down and showed Kakashi her empty palms in appeasement. "See?"

Giving the offending hairbrush a glare, Kakashi nodded. "I suppose I can live with that."

Sakura smiled in response, but then turned up her nose at Sasuke and Naruto, who was still laughing madly. "As for you two… do something useful and go wash up. I can smell you from here!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Naruto replied with a mock salute. Sasuke just glowered at being given orders to by Sakura. But, he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to feel clean, so he followed after Naruto towards the spring without a word.

As soon as the boys had walked out of earshot, Sakura went about picking the last few flower buds out of Kakashi's hair. Her hands were much gentler than the hard tines of the brush, so Kakashi relaxed and let his student have her way with his mop of silver hair.

"Teehee, your hair is so fluffy, Sensei!" Kakashi didn't know what to say to that, so a comfortable silence fell between them.

After a couple of minutes, Sakura brushed a few remaining buds off of Kakashi's shoulders and sat back on her heels. "There, all done! See, that wasn't so bad!"

"Hmmm, I beg to differ. I think my masculinity points are now in the negatives."

Laughing lightly, Sakura patted the top of his head. "I'm sure you'll survive, Sensei."

Again, silence fell between them as they both enjoyed the view of the night sky. Sakura was still seated behind Kakashi, who now was sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest, chin resting on intertwined fingers. Kakashi was still surprised that Sakura had been the one to cheer them all up after his untimely seriousness. He wondered if she had sensed his sadness at knowing that their team would soon be caught up in missions that did not allow childish antics, let alone smiles.

Sakura broke his thoughts with a light tap on his shoulder. "Sensei?"

"Mmm?"

"Are you thinking too much again?"

Kakashi chuckled lightly in response. "Ah, maybe."

"Well, stop it. Don't worry about a future you can't predict. Besides, whatever happens, happens. Acceptance is part of being a shinobi, right?"

Damn, when did she get so smart? "That's right. But, just because you've accepted something, doesn't mean it hurts any less."

Sakura stared at his back, completely surprised by his honesty. When a full minute of silence had passed Kakashi again chastised himself for his melancholy mood. What is wrong with me tonight? Just as Kakashi was about to turn around and offer an apology, Sakura wrapped her arms around his waist in a quick hug.

"We can't stay kids forever, Sensei," Sakura said softly into his back. "Thanks to you, we're ready for anything, as long as we're a team."

Kakashi's chest tightened in an unfamiliar emotion at her praise of him. He didn't deserve that much credit, they had grown because of their own strength. She's right, they're ready, but am I? And in that moment, Kakashi decided that he had to be, for their sakes. "Sakura, you're right. You guys have been ready for a long time. I've been the one holding you back."

Feeling Sakura stand up, Kaksahi finally turned around to look at her. Her bright green eyes were shining with unshed tears but she kept her composure and gave him a small smile. "Brooding really doesn't suit you, Sensei. Leave that for Sasuke."

"Noted," replied Kakashi with his trademark eye curl.

Quickly wiping her eyes, the pink-haired girl stretched out her arms with a yawn. "Well, I'm beat. Can I take second watch?"

"Sure," said Kakashi with a dismissive wave.

"Thanks." Turning her back to him, Sakura walked over to her bedroll and began making a pillow out of her spare clothes.

"Sakura?"

The kunoichi twisted her head to give him a questioning look. "Yes, Sensei?"

Kakashi put on his best smile. "Thank you. You really are the most intelligent ninja your age, in more ways than one."

Sakura grinned back at him. "I could have told you that, dummy!"

Just then, Naruto and Sasuke returned from the spring clad in only their boxers and sandals. At the sight of Sasuke's bare chest, Sakura's face reddened, and she quickly lowered her eyes in embarrassment.

Kakashi smiled inwardly at his female student. Well, it's nice to know she still hasn't grown up enough to not be infatuated with Sasuke. Kakashi turned toward the two boys. "Don't you guys look refreshed!"

Naruto grinned back, hands clasped behind his head. "Yeah, that waterfall was the best!"

"Glad you enjoyed it. Sasuke, you've got first watch. Sakura's second, and you're third Naruto. Wake me at 0100."

Sasuke raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "Only one hour long watches for us?"

"Your reward for besting me in training today." Kakashi curled his eye at his team. "Besides, I plan on taking a nice long bath without you three trying to see under my mask."

Naruto put on an expression of mock indignation. "I don't know you're talking about, Kakashi-sensei! We would never do that!"

Laying down on his bedroll, Kakashi rested his head on his pack. "Whatever you say, Naruto. Anyway, get some rest. I want to get back to Konoha by tomorrow afternoon."

"G'night, Sensei," murmured Sakura as she buried her head into her makeshift pillow. She was fast asleep in seconds.

Naruto had lain down but was fidgeting, trying to find a comfortable position. Finally, he turned over onto his stomach and sighed deeply in contentment. How the kid thought that was comfortable was beyond Kakashi.

Sasuke sat perched on a rock, gazing into the firelight. Confirming that the raven-haired boy was alert (not that he had any doubt), Kaksahi finally allowed his eyes to close.

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Kakashi awoke with a start. He had been dreaming, but he couldn't remember any of it. Looking around, he saw Sasuke and Sakura both fast asleep, meaning it was Naruto's watch. It took a few seconds for the jonin to spot the blonde. The young ninja was silently practicing katas just beyond the firelight. I guess it was just whatever I was dreaming that woke me up. Kakashi figured that it was a little after midnight, but he was wide awake, so he stretched and stood up.

The fire had almost completely gone out, so Kakashi tried to give it a little more life by stoking it. Realizing that it was a lost cause without more wood, he went scavenging nearby. He quickly found a stack of small logs that Sasuke must have gathered earlier. It took just a few minutes for the fire to blaze anew, thanks to the dry weather they were having.

Kakashi could now see Naruto clearly and he watched him move through a particularly difficult series of katas. The blonde executed them perfectly until the end, almost losing his balance on a landing from a mid-air spin kick. Kakashi walked over to his student, who was now grabbing a drink of water from his pack.

"Do it again, Naruto. This time don't over-extend yourself on the kick. You're putting too much energy into it, leaving you off balance."

The blue-eyed ninja gave his sensei a glare, but gave him a traditional bow and took a deep breath before moving into the first stance. Face scrunched in concentration, Naruto flawlessly performed the katas and made a perfect landing at the end. Now breathing heavily, the boy gave Kakashi a smile and a thumbs-up.

"Good job." But before Naruto could respond, Kakashi curled his eye and added, "Now do it again, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke."

Grumbling under his breath, Naruto took another quick sip of water before taking the starting stance once again. Kakashi could tell that the kid was tiring, but he was proud to see Naruto push past the pain without using chakra and complete the katas without a hitch.

"There, you happy, Sensei?" growled Naruto as he wiped sweat from his chin.

"Yup, now you know you've mastered it." Kakashi ruffled his student's hair fondly.

Naruto feigned irritation at the gesture. "You know I hate it when you do that."

Kakashi just laughed softly, knowing that wasn't true. "Oh right, sorry, I always forget." The jonin tossed Naruto his pack that was lying nearby. "Here, you get back to bed. I'll take over watch."

"You sure, Sensei? I just started before you woke up."

"Yeah, you worked hard today, you deserve your rest."

"Cool, thanks!" Naruto turned away from Kakashi but after taking only a few steps, he stopped in his tracks and looked down at the ground. "Sensei? Can I ask you something?"

Hands in pockets, the silver-haired ninja gave his student a concerned glance. "What is it?"

"Do you ever regret doing a mission that you thought was wrong, even if it helped protect the village?"

Talk about loaded questions… Kakashi wasn't sure how to answer. Of course he had regrets, painful ones at that. But, he had long since accepted his duty as a shinobi to perform some truly terrible acts for the benefit of his comrades and village. In fact, during his time in ANBU, Kakashi had thrived on the knowledge that he was preventing other Leaf ninja from having to do what he was doing.

Realizing how long it was taking Kakashi to answer, Naruto turned around and kicked the grass in impatience. "Sorry, you don't have to answer. I was just…"

"Worried about turning into weapon, a tool without emotion?" Kakashi finished for him.

The blonde's eyes shot up to meet the cool gaze of his sensei. "No! I would never be like that! At least, I can only hope that I won't. But, I understand now that with strength comes more responsibility, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."

Sighing, Kakashi chose his next words carefully. "Naruto, I can't say that you won't ever have conflicting emotions on a mission. But, you're not alone. Trust in your teammates, and don't obey orders blindly. Remember what I said during your genin exam? You have to be able to think for yourself. And you know what?"

Naruto just gave him a skeptical look.

Smiling, Kakashi continued. "I truly believe that if anyone can better the life of a shinobi, it's you. Trust your instincts. They haven't let you down yet."

Naruto's eyes had widened in awe. "You really believe that?"

"Yup! But just as Sakura so eloquently put it earlier, 'don't think too much!'"

"Yeah, she totally told you!" Naruto said with a smile.

"Well, she was 100 percent right, and I should apologize for getting you guys worked up about it. All we can worry about is the present."

Cheerful nature returned, Naruto rubbed the back of his head with a grin. "Yeah, you're right, both of us were being stupid tonight, I guess."

Kakashi smiled back, but there was one more thing he wanted to say. "Naruto, there's something else you should know, to answer your original question." Kakashi put on a more serious expression and gripped his student's shoulder tightly. "You're far more ready than I was at your age, and I was already a jonin then. And because I was in a position of responsibility, my ignorance caused me to make the greatest mistake of my life." Kakashi tapped his covered left eye.

Naruto's face was frozen in shock at the revelation.

"But, that was long ago, a different time. And the fact that you're here, seeking answers to these tough questions, shows that you're ready." Again, Kakashi curled his eye at the boy. "After all, you're the next Hokage, right?"

Naruto's face lit up at that and he gave Kakashi thumbs-up. "You bet! When I'm Hokage, I'll make sure everyone understands that shinobi are not just tools, but people who protect their comrades! No regrets!"

"I'm sure you will. Now, how about getting some rest and stop pestering me with your unanswerable questions?"

"Ok, ok, I'm going!" Naruto scowled back. But before leaving he gave Kakashi a grateful look. "Thanks, Sensei. For being honest." Flashing another smile, Naruto added, "You should try that more often instead of your lame excuses!"

Kakashi just chuckled. "Where would the fun be in that?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and finally headed back to his bedroll. "Night, Sensei."

Shaking his head at the antics of his most troublesome student, Kakashi thought, Boy, Naruto sure is a handful. But, his clear conscience will do great things one day.

Seeing that Naruto had already fallen back asleep, Kakashi decided to take a nice long dip in the spring. Stripping his clothes, including his mask, the silver-haired ninja sighed in contentment as he waded into the water. The temperature really was perfect. Taking Sakura's advice, he let himself float on the water's surface and emptied his mind of all thoughts. In moments he had achieved a state of relaxation, both mental and physical.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long. A messenger hawk suddenly dropped from the sky and flapped its wings causing a stream of air to blow across his face. Groaning at the intrusion, Kakashi quickly waded back to land and grabbed one of his discarded gloves, letting the bird land on his now covered wrist.

Even with only the moonlight, Kakashi recognized the bird as one of the Hokage's personal messengers. Meaning, the message had come straight from the elders and was urgent. With a sigh of annoyance, Kakashi detached the message tube from the hawk's leg and stowed it in his pants pocket. Redressing swiftly, he walked back to the fire and perched himself on one of the rocks.

Kakashi then unrolled the scroll and one look at it revealed that the message had been coded. Just great, it's at least an A-rank mission. What could be so urgent that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?

As he began to decode the message, the pit of Kakashi's stomach filled with dread. If this information is true… He didn't want to finish that thought. There was no need to jump to conclusions yet. After a few more minutes he had completely decoded the message, but he still didn't have any answers; it was now his job to get the answers. And worst of all, the message had made clear that his team was to accompany him, even though all information about this mission was top secret.

The elders had requested that he respond immediately to confirm his current location. Writing a message that didn't need to be coded, Kakashi quickly jotted down on a spare scroll:

I'm less than 10 kilometers from the area in question. We'll have the investigation completed by late afternoon. Even if your suspicions are true, I'm sure everything is fine, considering who we are talking about.

What he had written was true, and it gave him some comfort. Still, at a time like this… Looking at his students sleeping peacefully, Kakashi prayed that this was a false alarm.

To be continued!

AN: Whew! I'd say that the length of this chapter makes up for the time it took me to write it! I promised myself that I would get to the actual plot by the end of this chapter, but sorry for the cliffhanger!! *Evil grin* Anyway, I hope to write faster since I have the rest of the story outlined, but I can't make any promises. Thanks for reading!