AN: Wow, you guys have provided an incredible respone to the questions i posed in the last chapter. I am thankful for all your opinions. For those of you who provided some sort of reasoning for Kakashi's pairing, it was taken into consideration. In fact, my mind was swayed. I am no longer writing about the char i intended. I had oringally picked the Snow princess from the movie. Party because he had met her when he was younger, and then came back and met her again (it seems like the longest relationship he had with a woman :-P). Mostly because the princess was going to be in the icha icha paradise movie. His expression at that was priceless.

So curious as to who he is with in my story now? Read on and find out! Thanks everyone!

The cloud's floated by serenely in the otherwise empty blue sky as they avoided collision with the golden yellow sun. Down below two figures sat together and took rest under a sturdy oak that provided adequate rest.

Kakashi lay lazily upon a woman's lap and kept both of his eyes closed. The fact that his forehead protector had been removed for the time being was hardly the most surprising part about this meeting. What was most shocking was that his facemask had been pulled down and his entire profile was revealed to one person and one person alone.

It just wasn't fair. After years of trying, the rookie nine and their senseis gave up attempting to reveal that man's face. Only one other person had the privilege of seeing it, and Ayame would only revert back to heart-shaped eyes whenever the incident was brought up.

Despite all their hardships and attempts, the person who saw Kakashi's unveiled face was one who had seen it many times before. In fact this was the person who first pulled it off of him. Only this person knew just why he wore it always to begin with.

"Kakashi-san." Silence ensued. She knew he was awake. The lazy bum just refused to answer her. "Kakashi-san." Still nothing. "He is back you know. That poor boy has been back a little over a week and he still hasn't been visited by his former team leader."

The white haired ninja slowly shifted his position on the young woman's lap so he could lie on his side. It was the closest he would get to responding to her right now. "You know I would like to meet him as well. Isn't it about time? "

"I already checked up on him. Naruto is doing just fine. He is probably feeling better than he ever has in Konoha." There, maybe that would be enough to keep this one quiet. Wasn't it enough that he had agreed to give up his favorite series of novels for her? Did he really have to converse with her whenever she felt like it?

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Apparently he had to do just that. The best way to take control of a conversation was to be the one who asked all the questions. It was about time the copy-cat ninja understood just who was in charge here.

"He finally has Sakura's attention. That's all he really wanted anyways." Yes you heard the jounin correctly. That was all he wanted. It was his dream of dreams and the sole reason he above all else, desired power and recognition. However unlike Kakashi's other student, he had not allowed his heart to darken with greed.

That much was not in Naruto's nature. Nothing could ever keep the boy down. Yes, he did get depressed. Probably more often than anyone in the village ever knew. Hitake Kakashi didn't need to use his sharingan in order to see that much.

"And what is that you have always wanted?" She spoke in a sing-song tune with a little bit of a tease mixed in. She already knew his answer.

"You." There it was.

"Liar." There was no disputing his past. Even if his actions could be labeled as the standard acts of a ninja, it did tarnish the idea that he had always loved her for as long she had carried feelings for him.

Slowly the ninja woman began running her hand through Kakashi's unusual hair while she started humming a sweet and tender tune to herself. They once again had reached a sore subject. Both of them knew exactly what he wanted. It was the one thing that may be unobtainable. The restoration of honor.

"I think I shall go visit him, Naruto that is." God her voice was so naive and innocent. Everything about her reminded him of the purity that only a child had yet she managed to retain that part of her throughout the years. Then again it was probably why he had come to love her.

"He doesn't know who you are."

"That's why you are coming with me." Uh Oh. There was a slight tease to her voice. This mysterious woman knew something that Kakashi wasn't aware of. No matter what it was, it couldn't possibly be good. That sweet and innocent routine of hers had to wear of eventually.

Kakashi disappeared from the lovely woman's lap and reappeared standing behind her before she could say anything more. He extended a hand in order to help her up, but when he opened his still closed eyes he discovered that she was no longer there.

With an unconcerned, even sluggish look upon his face, Kakashi quickly began scanning the area for her chakra. Now where did that little trickster go…?

Suddenly from behind, Kakashi's vision was cut off as two silky white hands hindered his view. "You're going to have to do better than that, oh great sharingan Kakashi!"

However the kunoichi quickly realized that her hands were now wrapped around a tree stump after the fake KaKashi poofed away in a puff of smoke. She felt herself being lifted up in the ninja's arms as he now grabbed her from behind and held her bridal stride.

The two were about to depart to visit Naruto when the ninja-woman spoke up "Wait! We can't go see Naruto like this." She reached down to the ninja's neck and pulled his facemask up to cover the lower half of his face. "There, that's better."

Both parts of the pair knew the copy-cat ninja was smiling underneath that mask, but it would not be spoken. Anyways, wasn't it time to leave and go visit one of his former students? He had never been very prompt with making his appointments on time, but being a week late was a new record.

He was about to make off with his prize into the sunset but a few things prevented him from doing so. The primary problem being that she was hardly his prize. He was lucky to have her and knew it, no matter how little appreciation he showed at times. Kakashi couldn't show dependence. Dependence leads to weakness. That was a trait a ninja of his caliber could not afford.

Then of course there was the little problem that suns don't typically set in the middle of the afternoon. Blasted solar system ruining its timing. Who would have figured that for once in his life, Kakashi would be early for an event.

"Naruto." Again, more silence. Men don't like to talk. Why can't their counterparts ever seem to understand that?

"Naruto!" Seriously? Was it some kind of deficiency that all women were born with?

"NARUTO!" True, females did tend to mature faster and generally become more responsible, but it was like all of them had the same cognitive anomaly that gave them access to selective hearing. That or the desire to boss other people around, be it via a sweet and seductive routine or through the use of brute force.

A torrential waterfall fell down upon the blue-eyed blonde's head as Sakura unleashed a bucket of ice-cold water upon him. What was the saying? If women ruled the world, there would be no war. There would be no peace, but there would be no war.

Despite his newfound dampness, Naruto only managed to groggily open his eyes. "What is it Sakura-chan? Have they given me a mission already?" It had been so long since he could be considered a true ninja of Konoha.

"Humph. Do you really think they would give you a mission without receiving a clean bill of health from your doctor?" Oh god. Naruto might just be in hell. Sakura had power over him. She would swing that little treat in front of him like a carrot on a stick. The infamous unruly Uzumaki might just find himself tamed after she was through with him.

"Aww then let me sleep. I'm not exactly allowed to do anything else at the moment, am I?" He closed his eyes again and ignored the dampness that was upon Sakura's bed. Err correction. Don't get the wrong idea. Guest bed. In the guest bedroom. Which was not her bedroom. However it was still her bed, technically. She did own it. Naruto would have to remind himself to be more specific in the things he wished for.

With his senses continuing to dull with the returning sleep, Naruto didn't notice Sakura grab the sheets he slept upon and thus flip him out of bed by yanking them out from under him. He landed upon the floor with a thud but continued to sleep undaunted by all the ruckus going on around him.

"Naruto…Don't make me dump boiling water on you this time." Naruto blindly reached out his hand grasping at air until he found a sheet that would be suitable enough as a blanket. He pulled it over him and continued his slumber.

"Alright Naruto. Boiling water it is. It's too bad. Boiling water like that could be better used for other things. Like say some of the ramen Iruka-sensei had sent you in his care package." Naruto's old sensei was unfortunately away from the hidden village with most of the Konoha 9 at the moment on a peacekeeping mission. However he was the only one of the group to know that the mischief maker had finally returned.

Sakura could have sworn she saw Naruto's ears twitch slightly. Damn. She was sure that would have worked. Sakura sighed to herself while a smile crept up upon her face. It looks like she would have to stop treating him like the annoying kid who bothered her relentlessly so many years ago. If he could resist ramen then he was certainly a boy no longer.

It was time to step her game up a notch. He might have been able to resist ramen, but if she understood anything about Naruto, he wouldn't be able to resist…

"Or boiling water that could be used for other things as well. Say a sponge bath maybe?"

Oh that sultry sexy voice was too much. She was wrong before for thinking Naruto was a man for being able to resist Ramen. The truth was Naruto was a man for not being able to resist that tone.

He sprang up from his make shift bed fast enough to make him dizzy. His chakra control wasn't what it should have been in his weakened condition. Sakura finally caught a glimpse of a brief but undeniable yellow flash. 'Could it be…?'

"Sponge bath? I should get injured more often." That cheeky grin and childlike attitude. It was unmistakably his. The cherry blossom couldn't help but smile at him as he brought his hand up to rub the back of his head while he let out a chuckle. He was still the same.

"Alright well hang tight. I'll be right back with the sponge and water. Don't go off and fall asleep!"

She returned a few minutes later with her pink hair now done up in the same ponytail he saw in the hospital. Her sleeves were rolled up with a bucket in one hand and the sponge in the other. She slowly arched one of her eyebrows while continuing to use that voice. "Ready?"

Sakura must have a cat she never told Naruto about because something had his tongue. He wanted to speak. Hell he even tried to speak but none of the words he wanted would come out. Some people might be able to produce those undistinguishable garbled remarks but all Naruto could do was gasp.

"Good." She plopped the sponge into the bucket and slid it across the floor. "When you're done you can meet me in the kitchen for some breakfast. Afterwards we shall see just how well you have recovered." She smiled fiendishly and made her way out of the room.

She never got a glimpse of the ghastly white look upon Naruto's face. While it wasn't quite on the same caliber as the pranks Naruto was used to pulling, it was a start. Maybe soon things could go back to the way things were again.

Twenty minutes later she was joined in the kitchen by the blond.

He had gotten taller, much taller. He easily had four inches on her. Her role as her doctor gained her insight into some other changes that happened as well. He wasn't lanky anymore. Or at least she assumed he was pretty lanky back when they were all apart of Team 7.

He wasn't 'buff' if that was what you were thinking. Frankly that kind of a build was more of a hindrance than anything else to a ninja. Besides, looking that way didn't necessarily make anyone strong or powerful. Sakura was proof enough of that.

No instead Naruto retained his pretty lean build but he was pretty well cut. However that much was hard to see at the moment. Ninja clothing didn't tend to be very tight fitting. While that may have its advantages, loose clothing allowed one to hide far more tools.

He abandoned that blue and orange jumpsuit he seemed to like so much. Now he wore those standard issued green pants with a dark top. Sakura couldn't see it but there were hints of orange on the back of the T-shirt he was wearing. The most interesting part of his new look was the dark tan trench coat he wore over everything else.

Naruto walked in with his unchanging smile while his hands were tucked into the pockets of his coat. He saw her sitting there at the breakfast table buttering some toast and placing some sliced fruit upon his plate.

Just then something clicked within him. He wasn't sure just what triggered it. It could have been the result of the little prank she played on him earlier. It may have been the sunlight gleaming behind her that caused her hair to look that much brighter. No matter what the cause, she looked far more beautiful right now sitting at that table than he could ever remember.

Actually Naruto did realize what it was. It made him think about being home. He thought about having a life where he could wake up to a loving wife who would take care of him and love him while he did the same, if not more, for her. This moment he was imagining was nothing but a farce though. She was just his friend and doctor who was trying to make sure he got a balanced breakfast. That's all. Come on Naruto, it was time to grow up. He couldn't cling on to childhood fantasies anymore.

"Morning Sakura-chan." She looked back up at him with a smile on her face as well. She tilted her head towards the plate of food she had kept out for him and awaited Naruto to sit down so that they may enjoy a meal together.

She had grown up beautifully over the years as well too. Her hair had grown out long again, now reaching past her shoulders down to the middle of her back. Her eyes of course remained that striking green that always caught everyone's attention, though now they felt as if they carried more weight to them.

Sakura had finally grown into the body the whole village knew she would one day have. Someone who was so adorably cute as a child was destined to be a beauty once they matured. She had well defined curves that now attracted more than a few unwanted eyes her way but that was no problem. Look but don't touch was a good enough policy at the moment.

Much to Naruto's satisfaction, it was becoming apparent that his cherry blossom was inheriting more than medical training and an insane amount of strength from the Hokage, as his eyes kept wandering down to just below her neckline.

"Naruto, what color are my eyes?"

"You have eyes?"

"Naruto!"

"They are the most crystal clear version of emerald green that I have ever seen. It reminds me of those endless meadows found in the Grass Country, or the leaves from the great tree of Konoha but those aren't nearly as vibrant." What the…Naruto was not supposed to sound poetic.

"Oh" She blushed. No, damnit. Naruto would see that much. She just had to tell him not to stare at her chest. Now it was preferable to the other option.

"Your cheeks are almost as pink as your hair Sakura-chan." Time to rapidly change the direction of this conversation.

"I uh… you're apartment should be ready soon. Hurry up and eat so we can go out and see how much you have healed." That last part sounded dumb to her as a doctor. How the hell was she supposed to know how much he had healed if she didn't know how much he was capable of?

A mental clock blared its alarm within her head. The truth was even if she knew what Naruto was supposedly capable of, it wouldn't matter. He always had a tendency to go above and beyond his limitations, if he had any.

"Really? Great! Thanks for letting me stay here in the meantime Sakura-chan. I can't wait to see my old place again." He was so happy, even about the little things. It never took much to bring a smile to his face.

Her life had been pretty glum as of late. She fell into a hapless ninja routine that didn't leave time for much of those simple joys life had to offer. Everyday it was wake up, change, go through her training regimen and start her shift at the hospital. There were a few nights where she would head to a bar afterwards and share a drink with an old friend, but those moments became rarer as time passed on.

Everyone was so busy being a ninja. They all had missions that took them out to exotic lands where they could meet interesting people, some of whom had never even heard of Konoha. All the interesting people Sakura knew had left her, and she wasn't about to chase after them like some lost puppy.

This particular kunoichi hadn't been offered any real missions as of late. The only time her sensei gave her assignments that took her out of the hidden village is when there was a medical emergency that needed to be handled elsewhere and every last med-nin would be needed.

Naruto put the feeling of living back into her, even though he had only been in Konoha again for just a matter of days. If she had things her way, he wouldn't be leaving for some time to come.

"Yeah. I wonder why Tsunade-sensei said you couldn't go back just yet. I can't imagine what could have changed there if no one had lived in your place for seven years. It was nice of her to pay for that lot while you were out."

Naruto didn't have to wonder why. The answer was all to clear to him. Frankly he was glad the old ha-, sorry, old habits die hard. He was glad his mom asked Sakura to lend a room out to him for a few days. One had to wonder why a parent didn't have any reservations at all for a guy and girl to be sharing an apartment, even if it was temporary.

"Yeah…" He quickly finished the plate laid out before him with a fury few had witnessed over the year. It seemed the simpler and thus finer foods in life were a treasure to him. "Thanks again for the food Sakura-chan. Should we get going to the training site? I'm eager to see what you can do now!"

Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan! Why the hell did he keep saying Sakura-chan? The young lady had never heard her name spoken so many times before in a single day, and it was still pretty early in the morning!

He went on and on and on saying Sakura…..chan? How long had he been adding the chan to the end of her name? Naruto probably felt closer to her now that she was taking care of him as his doctor. It wasn't the time to bring it up now. She would make a mental note to bring it up again later. Now was the time to finally see just what tricks he had up his sleeves. Well, she did want to show off some of her new abilities to him. She had to prove that she wasn't a burden to him any longer. But that's a monologue for another chapter.

"Alright Naruto…kun. Let's go"

He must have died on the operating table when he reached Konoha. Everything had gone far too smoothly for any of this to be real. Yeah that's it, he's dead. Worse yet he could be under some form of genjutsu. That would mean he would have to leave this fantasy once the attack wore of or he would be killed and enter a real heaven which couldn't compare.

It didn't matter. Anything other than this could be nothing short of hell.

"K…ku….kun?" but his simple minded stuttering was not heard by the pink-haired girl who was now busy answering her door. Strange, no one ever visited her at her home.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yo" The white haired former sensei gave his signature half salute while greeting them with his unseen smile. That was ok. All the greeting the two of them ever needed was always found within his one exposed eye. His other one was once again covered by his forehead protector.

"I heard you two were rooming together. So when can we expect the children?" His form was quickly smashed across the hall as his face met with one hell of an angry fist. That same form once again was shrouded in a puff of smoke as it was replaced with a chair that had been in the hallways.

The jounin was next seen in the middle of the apartment holding up two fingers to form a peace sign at his returning student. "Yo Naruto."

"Kakashi-sensei!" The ninja jumped up and grabbed Kakashi within a hug, one that was returned with a few pats to his back. "Hey Naruto, I'm not your sensei anymore." His face remained still though his one eye turned towards Sakura "Or yours for that matter."

A face peered in from the door and eyed everyone in the room. "Kakashi-san? Is everything alright. I heard all this ruckus and was wondering what might have happened."

All eyes locked on the young woman who just made her entrance. Rumors had flown about over this mysterious ninja who had tamed the loner in Kakashi. It seems his former students were the best and first ones to know.

"Everything's fine. Told ya it was a good idea to wait. These guys can get reckless."

Naruto released Kakashi from the hug and looked over at the guest he had brought with him. His eyes grew wide with surprise when he saw the timid young girl enter the apartment.

"Rin oneechan?"

Yep, thats right. I brought in Rin. Now for those of you wondering, i have already in mind a backstory explaining her absense and return so don't worry about getting one of those brushed over semi-plots. As for her personality, she always struck me as the sweet and innocent kind of girl (at least from what little was revealed of her from the manga). If anyone thinks otherwise, please let me know. (with reason to back it up please). I think this pairing will allow for some interesting dualities and parallels between Kakashi and Naruto. You'll understand more about my theories in later chapters.

Now, here is why i didn't choose oither pairings. This is more personal reasons. I am in no way trashing these pairings as some of my favorite naruto stories include them.

Anko- Frankly, she just kinda creeps me out

Shizune- I have NO idea where this one comes from. I don't even think they interact in the show (i could be wrong, its been a while since i watched)

Kurenai- This pairing i actually like. Im not sure why, it just see it as plausable. Maybe because they both have at least one red eye. However i never really got the sense of any strong chemistry.

I may be tempted to explore these pairings at a later time and as my writing style improve, but for now lets work on Rin.

As always, i would love to read your reviews, comments and questions, so please Leave a Review:-)

I will pose one reward for your participation. If you guys really favor a pairing with chars that i have yet to bring into this story, let me know in your review and i will do my best to work them in. The more you tell me about a pairing, the better a job i can do and the better chance that your pariing will be picked! (more than one may be picked btw). So far the only pairing im really completely for in naruto is narusaku. On everything else im a little flexible.

Well thats all for now. Please leave me your thoughts. Until next time, Take Care:-)