A/N: Hahaha, apparently you guys didn't like that small cliffie I put there after all this time of absence. I'm very, very sorry. ^^; There's no cliffie in this chapter. (Yay!)

Enjoy! ;-)

The softness of her lips, the heat of her face, the silky smoothness of her hair… He had had a taste of it all before, but he felt it all even more strongly this time. He couldn't control himself. Maybe it was because of how she looked, or maybe it was how angry she was making him. Why was she lying to him? It was such an obvious lie. And why about something like this?

Then again, this must mean that she really does love him. To lie so terribly about it…

But why should she lie about this? Why?

It was as though his body thought that the closer he'd get to her, the deeper he could reach into her mind. Unwillingly, he pushed his tongue further into her mouth. He was already laying half on top of her on the couch. He felt his desire for her grow with each second, but he had to restrain himself.

Kaede…

A whimper sounding underneath him had him stop this kiss, forcing him to break it off. He raised his head, looking at her face. It was completely red. She panted; her lips seemed a bit swollen. Her eyes were wide – she was surprised, and not in a good way.

Still, he didn't want this to end. Not yet.

It took a moment for him to notice that he was panting, as well.

"Why are you lying to me like that, Kaede?" he panted.

He watched as Kaede's eyes filled up with tears. Yet she forced a smile.

"There's no use trying to lie to you, is there?" she replied.

Good. He didn't scare her with this. Even though he did scare himself just now.

Her smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "I don't want you to wait for me," she panted. "I want us to stay friends, but… I don't know how long I'll be gone. I can't do that to you."

"What you're doing to me right now hurts me more than you know," replied Kakashi.

Kaede watched him with an expression of guilt and worry.

"Now tell me, honestly. What do you really feel for me?" asked Kakashi.

Kaede's eyes were searching aimlessly into his.

"If I told you I really don't love you like that…" she whispered, her voice light, "… what would you do then?"

Kakashi smiled in spite of himself.

"I guess that would be something you'll never find out," he replied in a low voice before he sat back up, taking Kaede with him and gently pressing her head and upper back against his chest.

"Listen," he whispered. "No matter how long you'll be gone, or how far away you are, I'll wait for you. You're more than worth waiting for." He lowered his head, resting his chin on top of her head. "I'll get you out of there when the time is right."

He stopped when he felt her tremble against him.

"Kaede?"

Did I scare her again?

"Don't… make promises… you can't keep."

…

What?

This time, it was Kaede who leaned closer to him, embracing him. Her arms wrapped around his waist, her hands resting on his back.

She'd said those exact words when he'd promised her to be on time for their next training – which, in the end, they never got to do.

It took a few seconds for him to realize what she probably meant. After all, he couldn't possibly forget what he was. He was a shinobi. A warrior who would give his own life to protect his village and the people he cared about the most. There was no way in which he could tell how long he'd live. He could be called out to a mission and get killed in battle any moment. He knew the risks of the job when he took it. And until now, he never really cared what would happen to him, as long as the village was safe.

But now he had Kaede, and with her, he had a lot to lose if he died. Not only that, but Kaede only had him and Naruto. They were the only ones she really trusted. He could feel that the thought of losing them was frightening her. Was this why she was trying to distance herself from him?

"I'll be there," he said firmly. He was determined to live. "I'm not planning to die before you're back here with me."

Kaede withdrew her arms. Kakashi let go of her as she created some space between them. She was watching him with wide eyes.

"I'm not going back on my word," he continued using Naruto's words. "I'll fight; I'll take on the world if that's what it takes me to have you come back to me."

Kaede covered her mouth with both hands as she started to cry. Kakashi reached out and pressed her close to him once again. At that moment, even he could feel a twist in his chest. A pang of anxiety. He never wanted to let go of her again. Ever.

They had talked for hours, mainly about Naruto. Kakashi sounded so full of pride whenever he talked about Naruto and the things he had achieved.

Good. Naruto is lucky to have a friend like you, Kakashi, Kaede thought.

She took another sip of her tea as Kakashi talked about how Naruto single-handedly took down a shinobi Kakashi couldn't seem to defeat on his own, using the Rasen Shuriken. She tried not to make a face as she swallowed the far-too-bitter green tea down.

You're a terrible tea maker, though…

"And now he's trying to perfect the Jutsu so that he can throw it," finished Kakashi.

"He told me that you don't approve of it," replied Kaede.

"I don't," admitted Kakashi with a frown. But he smiled as he continued: "But Naruto is Naruto. Once he gets his mind set on something, even I can't stop him."

Kaede smiled for a moment. "But, why don't you approve of it?" she asked. "Is it because of the… Kyuubi?" Just thinking of what happened back then, when Kaede and Sakura were watching Naruto's training.

"Not just that," said Kakashi in a serious voice. "When Naruto used that Jutsu, his arm became seriously injured. He recovered, but the Jutsu appeared to be so powerful that it could separate his Chakra from the body cells in that arm. If that were to happen again, he might never recover again."

Kaede felt a twist in her chest. "A-and what if it happened again?" she asked. "Does that mean Naruto would…"

"No," said Kakashi quickly. "It means he would never be able to use his Chakra again. He would have to give up on being a shinobi."

"… Oh."

This stupid reaction was all she could think of. What else could she say? Being a shinobi was what was driving Naruto – his dream to become Hokage would be crushed if he had to give up on being a ninja.

"But," said Kakashi in a more cheerful voice, "Naruto's never failed to surprise me, so who knows? Maybe one day he will master it without injuring himself."

Kaede felt a smile tug at her lips, and she nodded.

Kakashi smiled back at her. Then he stood up and reached his hand out to her.

"We should get some sleep," he said softly.

Kaede blushed. She took his hand and stood up. Even after she was up, Kakashi didn't let go of her hand.

"Come on," he said, gently pulling her along towards a door. Kaede soon found out that this was the door to his bedroom. Kakashi opened the door and switched the light on.

"Umm… Kakashi?" started Kaede carefully, slowly pulling her hand out of his. "We're… not going to…" She swallowed. She looked at him, and knew she didn't have to finish that sentence.

Kakashi shook his head. "Of course not," he said. "You're sleeping here tonight."

Kaede felt relieved, but then the next question popped up: "I thought I was going to sleep on the sofa tonight…?"

"No way," replied Kakashi with a smile. "I have to watch you all night, anyway. Can't do that from another room, can I?"

Kaede couldn't help a chuckle. "You're taking this really serious, aren't you?" she said.

"It's the Hokage's orders," said Kakashi more seriously. "It's my duty as a shinobi to take every order very seriously."

"I see," said Kaede, feeling a little stupid. "But… that… doesn't mean that you even have to watch me when I change clothes, right?" she added with a startled smile.

Kakashi simply stared at her, his expression neutral and unreadable.

After a few seconds of silence, Kaede repeated: "Right?"

Now Kakashi looked away. It was like someone poured a bucket of cold water over Kaede, as she started to feel uneasy.

"Kakashi, you're not going to watch when I change clothes!" she said in a raised voice.

Kakashi merely looked at her from the corner of his eye, not moving an inch.

Now she was annoyed with him. She reached out, put her hands on his chest and pushed him backward. "Get out," she said.

"I'm just doing my job, Kaede," said Kakashi, amusement sounding clearly in his voice. He was teasing her. He didn't stop her, though. She knew she wasn't that strong to be able to push him back, so that must mean he understood. Still, she was irritated with him. She kept pushing him until he was out of the door range, and grabbed the doorknob.

"I'll be done in a minute," she said, still irritated and her voice was showing that. She slammed the door shut and turned around. She looked around the room.

So this is Kakashi's… bedroom.

Shaking the thought off, she focused her attention to her bag…

… which was absent. She'd left it in the living room.

Oh, crap…

Embarrassed, she turned around again to open the door.

He wondered how long it would take her to realize she'd left her bag here. He'd already picked it up, waiting for her to open the door.

And after a few seconds, she did. An embarrassed look on her face, Kaede looked around the door.

This was what he loved about her. These moments were so entertaining to him, he almost felt bad for it.

He reached out to her with the bag in his hand. "Here you go," he said with a smirk.

Kaede took it immediately, her face flushed and her eyes avoiding his. "Thank you," was her short reply before she closed the door again.

He patiently waited for a brief moment before the door opened again. Kaede stepped out in a tight tank top and shorts. After staring at her (well-developed) body for a few seconds, he looked into her eyes. She seemed bothered by something.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"N-nothing," she said without looking at him. "It's not a big deal. Where's your bathroom?"

"Right here," answered Kakashi, opening the door on the other side of the small hallway.

"Thanks," replied Kaede. She looked at him for a moment before she entered the bathroom. Kakashi watched as she passed by him, feeling a sudden desire for her, seeing her like this.

No. He had to keep control. There was no way she was ready for anything like that.

Kaede closed the bathroom door behind her, and left Kakashi standing in front of the door.

I can't think of her that way. Not until she's ready.

He could wait. For Kaede, he'd wait an eternity, if it were necessary. He loved her too much to lose her because of his stupid desires. Tonight was the last night. He couldn't ruin it for her. Who knew how long it could take until she could spend her next night in Konoha?

She woke up for the fourth time now. She raised her head up a little, looking across the room. Kakashi was still sitting next to the bed, watching her.

"I'm here," he whispered softly. "Go back to sleep."

She closed her eyes, and felt a warm hand resting on the top of her head. It made her feel relaxed, safe.

This time, things are going to be fine…

A/N: *Yaaaawn* Now I'm getting sleepy. Good night, sweet people, and until next chapter! Don't worry, I won't be taking so long any more, and there will be more action from here. I don't want Book I to end with a bore; I want to leave you guys with a good impression before I put Book II up! ^^

Please do leave a review. It doesn't have to be long, just let me know what you think and I'll be very happy. :) Thank you so much for reading and see you next time!