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Chapter 7

Well, I had never been so happy to see Gai. Forty-seven minutes after he had left, he had returned to me on the training grounds towing a bound up Kakashi. I had no idea how he did it, but if it kept Gai from being my slave, I'd happily accept it. After Gai had dropped Kakashi literally at my feet, been rejected by me once again, and flashed another blinding smile at me, he had left to run round Konoha on his thumbs or something. I didn't want to know.

Looking down at the Copy-nin, I saw him looking just as laid back as ever on the ground even as he was tied up in wire, and my anger grew.

"WHAT is your problem? I asked for a theory lesson and you set me off on a wild goose chase which we both knew I wouldn't succeed in-"

"Then why did you try?"

"What?"

"If you knew you could not complete my plan, why did you try?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Because I don't give up that easy you idiot! Just because you think you are too good to help me learn to control this ability I have no clue how to use, doesn't mean you can just brush me off like that!"

"I didn't brush you off. What made you think that?"

"I only saw you four times, I bet you weren't even in the training grounds half the time, were you?"

"Four?" Kakashi said, using a kunai to quickly free himself, why didn't he do that before? "I thought I only showed myself three times... you are better than we anticipated."

"I- what?"

"This was a test Jiraiya and the Hokage wanted to put you through."

"A test? On what? I don't know anything yet."

"You know not to give up."

"Stubbornness, that's all."

"You didn't once complain."

"How do you know that? You weren't there were you?"

"I never left your side." What? I really am awful at this, I never noticed him.

"Oh."

"And you adapted quite fast." He said, tapping his masked chin, "I made noises further from you as we progressed, and still you noticed them."

"Really?- "

"And you used your knowledge and incentive to get me. Using Gai was quite clever, if not a little annoying for me."

"Sorry."

"So you see Natsuki-san, this was not a test on your ninja capabilities, but on your ninja character," Kakashi said, stepping towards me. I think he was happy, I couldn't really see his face but his visible eye was in an upside down 'u' shape.

"And you passed with flying colours." Came a deep voice from behind me. I spun around and saw the Hokage and Jiraiya emerge from behind some trees near the training grounds. "We know you can handle this."

I saw them smile at me, Jiraiya's smile a little creepier to me, but still, I was proud. I had made three of the best ninja in Konoha pleased with my test results. Sure I was still angry at Kakashi, but now I knew his reasons and that I could still get my revenge someday. And what a revenge it would be.

"Natsuki?" the Hokage said, "Shouldn't you be getting Naruto now?"

My eyes flicked to my watch, 5:56... "Shit."

I reached the Uchiha compound in ten minutes, and it took me another two minutes maybe to reach the correct house from directions I asked from a passerby. I took a moment on the porch to collect myself and get my breath back before I knocked on the door.

Itachi.

I almost jumped in shock and surprise, but schooled my face into a smile. He wasn't a murderer yet. He was just a ten year old boy, another shinobi, fighting for Konoha... and maybe he would keep doing so if I intervened- no, I'd have to talk to the Hokage about that. In the mean time...

"Hi, I'm Natsuki. I'm here to pick up my little brother Naruto."

He looked at me in my cut, bruised, dishevelled and worn out state, bored it seemed by it (he probably saw this everyday actually), before the flicker of a smile passed over his face. "Come in, I'm Uchiha Itachi. I think he's in the living room."

I followed Itachi through his house, noticing the sparsely furnished but elegantly designed rooms. I nodded hello at other family members I passed, and when I reached the living room I saw... Naruto and Sasuke, arm-wrestling, while poor Mikoto fussed over them and their safety. I felt a sweat-drop coming on. Even at this age did they have to compete over everything? But it looked as though they were both tiring. Five year olds did run out of energy, eventually.

"Naruto, time to go home."

"One... minute Natsuki-chan, I've... almost... got him!" Naruto said, his face scrunched up in concentration.

"You... wish, dobe." Sasuke said back.

"Sasuke!" Mikoto scolded, while I saw Itachi looking at his brother fondly. I always hated the hate Sasuke would have to a brother that obviously cared and loved him deeply. I don't think I'd have the strength to do what Itachi would.

"Okay Naruto, after this we go home, alright?"

"YOSH!"

We stood there watching the two five year olds another three minutes perhaps, before both collapsed simultaneously, rubbing their arms. Before they declared a rematch, I grabbed Naruto and thanked Mikoto for watching him for me at the door.

"It's no problem dear, Sasuke and I enjoyed having him here." She said with a gentle smile.

"I didn't." Sasuke said with a scowl from his mother's side.

Without looking at him, Mikoto lightly slapped the back of his head, "Manners."

When I saw Naruto sticking his tongue out at Sasuke, I copied Mikoto, "What do you say to Mikoto-san Naruto?"

His face now the picture of innocence, he looked up at the older woman, "Thank you for having me here Mikoto-san."

"It's fine Naruto-kun," she said with a smile, a villager that liked Naruto, I like her, "I hope you come back soon."

"I will, and I'll beat that Sasuke-teme-"

I managed to cover his mouth before too much damage was done, and after a final nod of thanks, made my way home with Naruto in my arms. Once we were outside the Uchiha compound, I allowed Naruto to speak, spilling all the fun he had with Sasuke, how he swung higher than Sasuke on the swings, but that Sasuke beat him in the races. It was sweet how much Naruto obviously enjoyed spending time with Sasuke. I'd hate to think of how he'd feel at Sasuke's betrayal... unless- no! I'd have to speak to the Hokage first, and even if he agreed, how much would I change of the future by stopping Sasuke.

Orochimaru would live, but so would Itachi.

Sasuke would never learn to hate Konoha, but he'd also never learn truth about Madara and Itachi.

Sasuke would never go down the spiral of evil, but Naruto would never have such incentive to grow as this.

Why did this have to be so hard?

...

I'd wait. I had time still, a few years before I had to act. I could wait. I had to.

Over the course of the next year Jiraiya and Kakashi taught me to become a kunoichi, building up my strength and speed, attacks and defence and my arsenal of jutsus. I was about level with an advanced genin, not bad for a few month's work, and I was able to help Naruto at school a lot more. Of course, they had yet to train in the Yondaime's jutsu. I 'wasn't strong enough' or I 'wasn't ready yet' or simply 'because'. I was annoyed, but what could I do?

Last month I had officially got my hitai-ite. I kept it around my head, just above my eyebrows, a few strands of hair lying on top of the cloth. I had since the start of training decided that keeping my hair in a simple plait down by back was the best way for my safety. It had grown a little, now reaching the bottom of my shoulder blades. Still as black as ever. And my skin just as pale, no matter how many hours I spent out under the sun. No tan. Nothing.

Naruto and I had celebrated my graduation that night with, you guessed it, ramen. The Hokage, Jiraiya and Kakashi also joined us, and I had never made so much ramen in my life. It was a fun night though, and Naruto had bought me a simple bracelet, with a kunai charm. It was supposed to bring me luck, and he promised to buy me a new charm every birthday, Christmas, New Year, etc. It was so sweet I hugged him for ten minutes straight.

And Gai had taken quite a liking to me, which Naruto clearly detested. Gai was funny and useful at times, but it was just embarrassing being with him sometimes too, especially with Kakashi. He'd declare that he'd 'win Natsuki's heart from his eternal rival's clutches' to the whole village repeatedly. I think I was getting a negative reputation from the female population.

Who was I, a genin, to even think of being with the greatly revered, reclusive Copy-nin Kakashi?

Pfft.

Like I'd let a crush get the better of me.

Yes, after a few weeks of debating internally over my different reaction to Kakashi, I had realised I had a crush on who was fast becoming my best friend. But it was only a crush, and I was sure to get over it. Besides, it was obvious that he had yet to get over his Rin. His precious, beautiful, intelligent Rin. Not the stubborn, plain, cynical Natsuki. Even her name sounded nicer than mine. I'd be drowning in self-pity if I wasn't sure this was only a crush. My life got worse when Jiraiya worked out my crush, but I managed to blackmail him into silence.

I wouldn't ruin my friendship with Kakashi. He would always be my friend first, like I was his.

Until one Thursday, after a training session.

"Natsuki," Kakashi said as we lay down, me exhausted after the sparring, and he not even having broken a sweat. I was getting better though, I had nicked his sleeve. "This will be our last training session."

I sat up suddenly, looking at Kakashi for the joke. He was looking straight at me, not in his 'book', and his eye was staring straight at me. He was serious. "What? For how long?"

"..."

"Forever?"

"I have nothing more to teach you."

"But what about-"

"Jiraiya will teach you that. I only knew what Minato-sensei did by sight, before I got my Sharingan, so I cannot help you."

"We can still train though, right?"

"I do not have the time."

He was being unusually rigid tonight. I had over the past year had the privilege of getting to know the real Kakashi, becoming what I thought was his best friend, as he was mine. The only thing I had yet to see was his face, but what did that matter? I knew him inside. He was blocking me out tonight, his eye taking on a blank look I had only seen when he had refused to discuss something. What wasn't he telling me? I didn't know what to do, I never knew what to do when he got that look in his eye. He looked so emotionless, a true ninja. It scared me.

"Kakashi why are you being like this? Aren't we friends? You know you can tell me anything, so what's the matter?"

I placed my hand on his shoulder, only to have it shrugged off and for Kakashi to stand up, away from me. I had never felt so low in my life. "You were my charge."

"Your charge?" I said, standing up also. My small stature was hardly intimidating, but I could still try, "What happened to being friends? Aren't I your friend? What the hell is going on Kakashi?"

"Nothing," he said, shrugging indifferently, "I have just finished my mission."

His mission... his MISSION? "What happened to people that abandoned friends being worse than scum?"

"I'll send Naruto his birthday present next week." He said as he started to walk out of the training grounds.

"You get back here Hatake Kakashi! You get back here and explain to me exactly what the HELL is going on!"

"Goodnight Uzumaki-san."

"Uzumaki-san? What happened to 'Natsuki'? Kakashi? Kakashi?"

He was gone.

And couldn't chase him, I had to get back to Naruto.