I do not own Naruto.
Kakashi woke with a warm weight atop him.
He threaded one hand through his little prince's hair.
A fist tightened against his side.
"Don't look into Sharingan eyes, stupid-sensei."
"I hear and obey, Prince."
"You better," the boy grumbled, not lifting his head from Kakashi's chest.
"What happened?"
"They got away from you and Gai and came after me-" Kakashi's hand fisted. "Ow."
"Sorry," Kakashi murmured, releasing the boy's hair and rubbing the spot to sooth his scalp.
"They lured Jiraiya away with a genjutsu and attacked me, but Sasuke had followed them so he attacked Itachi. They were distracted long enough for Jiraiya to get back and stop them, but then Sasuke was in a coma as well. So we brought him back and then had to go convince Baa-chan - that's Tsunade - to come back and help. So I learned the Rasengan to win a bet with her, but then Orochimaru and Kabuto were there and we had to fight them. But they got away and Tsunade came back with us and helped you and Sasuke and became Hokage."
"You need to work on your verbal reports."
That earned him a light smack to the kidney. "Oof."
"Reports are boring and long."
"Yet you want to be Hokage."
"Boring and long but necessary."
Kakashi chuckled and felt Naruto grin against his chest.
"Kakashi?"
"Yo."
The boy stifled a giggle and whacked him again.
"What did Itachi show you?"
Kakashi petted Naruto and said nothing for a while. The boy didn't press.
"I couldn't move. He stabbed me." Kakashi's voice was monotone. "Then I was healed. And two of him stabbed me. Then I was healed. And four of him stabbed me. Then I was healed. And eight-"
"Look at me."
"-of him stabbed me. Then I was healed. And more of him-"
"Look at me!"
Kakashi's one eye focused on Naruto's two. Kakashi's breathing was still even, betraying not the slightest hint of panic.
The boy was on top of him, Kakashi's head in his hands.
When did he move?
They watched each other.
Kakashi lifted one hand and settled it back on the boy's head. His other hand held Naruto's to his cheek.
"Don't leave me."
"I won't."
"I need you to become Hokage."
"I will."
"I'll train you and you'll beat them."
"Yes."
Naruto leaned down and kissed Kakashi's forehead.
The boy blushed as he pulled away.
Kakashi was delighted with himself for teaching Naruto that. He hummed, delicately giving his approval.
It was cute, Naruto's shy smile.
-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-
Jiraiya wanted to take his little prince away. For two years. For training.
Kakashi wanted to rip the man's traitor head from his lecherous body.
"No."
"Naruto, this is not a negotiation. You'll be safe if the Akatsuki don't know where you are."
"Then we'll make a big show of me leaving. Then I'll stay here and train with the ANBU for a while. And Jiraiya, if he wants."
Tsunade sighed. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I know you don't want to leave your friends here, but this is for the best."
"Why? What benefit will I gain from being exposed on the road? I'm safer here in Konoha."
"Jiraiya needs to travel, and it's important that you learn from him."
"Learn what? I already know the Rasengan, and I doubt he knows Hiraishin."
"Toad summoning is a bit too big to conceal."
Naruto frowned. "What does that have to- oh. I didn't realize… I'm sorry, Baa-chan, but I won't be summoning toads. I've already got a summoning contract, and they're exclusive."
Tsunade blinked.
Kakashi felt a curl of satisfaction.
"What?"
"I'm already spoken for. So no Rasengan, and no Toads. What else can only Jiraiya teach me?"
Tsunade scowled. "Plenty. You're going. That's the end of it, Naruto."
Kakashi saw the exact moment Naruto's trust in Tsunade broke. He wondered if Tsunade could see it, too.
"Alright, Baa-chan. Sorry. When am I leaving?"
By the relief on Tsunade's face, she couldn't.
"Tomorrow before dawn. Get packed."
"Yes. Bye."
Kakashi followed Naruto out before Tsunade could object.
-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-
Kakashi didn't mind being ignored while the boy packed. He recognized the need to get back on an even keel.
Four cups of ramen were steaming, waiting for Naruto when the boy finished.
Kakashi slowly worked through his one while the boy gobbled up three.
His little prince didn't look up once.
Kakashi fully intended to comfort Naruto when he followed the boy to bed, but found himself being held instead, face pressed to the boy's neck.
He still expected himself to be acting as a teddy bear, even as his fingers curled tight into the back of Naruto's jacket.
He didn't beg aloud for his little prince to come back to him, to not leave him behind at all.
Naruto seemed to hear him anyway, and the boy offered gentle reassurances, both explicit and implied.
The boy drifted to sleep before Kakashi, but he didn't extract himself. He listened to Naruto's heartbeat until the boy's alarm went off.
Naruto kissed Kakashi's forehead as he left.
-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-
Only the Pack knew how Kakashi prowled along the roads outside Konoha, just under two years since his little prince had left. Only the Pack knew that Kakashi spent as many nights in Naruto's apartment as his own. Only the Pack knew that Kakashi often stayed in the Forest of Death until well after dark, sprinting among the trees.