8/10/08

Hello there. Kiragirl17 is back with another chapter. Yeah me!

I hope you like this chapter. I worked so many days and hours on this.

This story is coming to an end rather fast, but don't worry, I plan to come back with a sequel. I already know how I want to start it, but you will have to wait until this story is over. I give you clue. It has to do with Minato...but in this season Naruto will get to meet Ryu's master and mistress in a couple chapters, and everything will be revealed.

I hate community days. My only friends are my laptop and the internet. There is nothing else to do!

There was this reviewer, who pointed out some grammars/typos out in the beginning chapters. Burnsky didn't have an email to contact her/he, since they didn't want to be yelled at by me since they were yelled out by another author for being in their grammar high horse. She/he pointed out some of my mistake... I would fix them and everything, but those chapters aren't uploaded to the sight, and I don't feel like uploading them again (too much work). So Burnsky, I am not mad. In fact, I like it since it means that someone is reading my story with an open mind! And you're not the first to comment on my grammar, so don't feel bad. I have been looking for a beta reader to beta my story, but I rather it be a person, who is reading my story to begin with. So everything is okay!

I don't own Naruto!

btw, this chapter is my longest to so far. It's about 6,000. Yeah me!

and a special special thanks Iana Sabelle who proof this chapter for me as well!

Chapter 16

Countdown

Part 16

Naruto woke up when the sun shone through the windows. At first she forgot where she was, and it took her a second before she figured out. She didn't move from her spot on the bed,she loved the sound of it. She pulled the pillow which was still wet from her tears, to her chest with her sore right arm (finally better!). She laid there in a ball for an hour before getting up.

Her feet touched the floor and she made her way to the long mirror in the room. This had to be my mother's mirror. She thought to herself. She nodded before studying herself in the full length mirror, and noticed that she has light shadows under her eyes and her cheeks were tear-stained.

Her clothes were a mess and her hair seemed to have a mind of its own. She was a major mess but she was at least a cute mess. She ran her fingers through her hair before she tried to rub away her dried tears. Lastly, she tried to straighten out her clothes but over all, she was still a mess. She would have to take a bath later after breakfast. What's the point? I'm meant to be alone, anyway.

She could visualize what her life could have been if her parents were alive. Naruto, a five year old child was studying herself in the mirror trying on her mother's clothes. Her mother walked in and smiled. Soon after that, her father walked in with a camera taking photos of her mother and her playing dress up. Little Naruto in turn jumped onto Minato and he held her tight against his chest. They could have been a loving family. She could imagine how her life could have been if they were alive…… Don't go there! Her voice of reason warned her. It would hurt too much. She forced her fantasies out of her mind. She needed to be strong now. She had too much on her plate already.

She headed to the huge kitchen that she would probably destroy sometime in the near future. She wasn't a good cook, thus the reason for the five-minute ramen in her kitchen cabinets. It wasn't that she didn't like to cook; it was more like she never had a mother to teach her how. If she knew how to cook, she would have, she could have saved herself from eating out all the time. It cost more money to eat out instead of cooking food yourself. She sighed. It would be unlikely, however, for her to buy food to cook anyway, since no one wanted the 'demon' in their place of business.

A sweet aroma greeted her and filled her nose when she arrived on the first floor. It smelled like nothing she had ever eaten before. A smile soon appeared on her face. Food was the way to a man's heart as well as Naruto's. (an: don't tell her fan boys, if they don't already know.) Food was also one of best way to cheer the kunoichi up. Naruto hoped that he made some food for her as well. If he didn't, then she would just have to steal some. It would be a blast to make Kakashi or Sai mad…….well, they never were very emotional but hey, she enjoys a challenge.

The kitchen came into view and she saw Kakashi standing in front of the stove making eggs with bacon, potato, and other breakfast foods. Two empty plates lay on the counter top. The Copy Cat Ninja filled the plates with food which all looked very delicious to Naruto. Kakashi returned to the stove seconds later. "Naruto, wipe your mouth and take a seat." He ordered. No one could see it but the older Shinobi was smiling.

"H-how did you know it was me?" Naruto asked as she wiped her mouth dry. She was insulted by his statement no matter how true it was. Her mouth was watering even as she wondered how he knew what she was doing when he had his back to her.

"You are very predictable... and I could hear your stomach." He grinned. He even laughed when Naruto wrapped her good arm around her stomach as she blushed. Her face was redder then a tomato. His smile grew, but it was invisible under his mask. She is so innocent, he thought. That was what made her cute. That was also why he loved her. She didn't let the world changer her like the way it changed him.

She took a seat as he placed the food down, in front of her. "Where is Sai?"

He sat down across from her with his own plate of food. "He's with the Hokage."

She responded by taking a big bite of his home-cooked meal. "This is delicious. I didn't know you could cook." She was happy. Like stated before, food was the way to Naruto's heart.

"Thanks, I try."

"……Can I ask you something?" Her voice was just above a whisper.

"Sure."

"Well more than one thing, actually." She looked down, while she played with her fingers.

"Sure." He said, losing his patience. She was beating around the bush. He hated it, when people beats around the bush.

"You don't have to, if-"

"Naruto." He interrupted. "Out with it!"

She became rather quiet. It was an uncomfortable. Naruto didn't want him to yell again since she already felt depressed from her situation with Yukio and (even) Minato. She didn't need anything else on top of that. "Nevermind." She stood from the chair. Her plate found a spot in the sink. "I'm going to train."

Kakashi felt horrible. Naruto was already in a weakened state. He sighed. He was really stupid and he wasn't going to let it end that way. She walked past his chair and he wasn't taking any chances. He grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her back to him making her fall into his lap. He didn't mean for that to happen but hey, he wasn't complaining. "I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around her waist.

Naruto blushed intensely, she had never been this red in her entire life. She was sitting on her Sensei's lap and he had his arms around her. She was trapped in his arms…… She could feel her body react to his. She could feel his body and she was losing focus on what was going on around her. Man, she hated being a woman. Why are women weak around the knees? "Sensei," she uttered.

Kakashi chuckled in his mind at Naruto's reaction. She was so naive and innocent in this subject. He, on the other hand wasn't so innocent. Just ask any of the women that he had been with. He could make them weak in the knees just as easily. But he didn't mean anything by this notion. It was a mistake. He wanted to, though. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to do his wild fantasies to her. He wanted her to be the one. There were just too many problems with that. One, she wasn't in the right place for a relationship. Two, he didn't think it would work out anyway since

he was her Sensei, and there was an age difference. Why couldn't he be a little bit younger? Three, her father was his Sensei. "I didn't mean to yell."

Naruto looked up at him. She nodded, but she didn't force herself out of his arms. She rather liked the safe feeling she had being in his arms, but she wasn't going to admit it to Kakashi.

"So tell me what you wanted to ask me before."

"Well, I wanted to know more about my father."

"And?" He pressed on. He knew she would ask him to talk about her father, his Sensei. It still hurt that Minato was gone. He should have let the third do the seal but Minato was too stubborn, which was where Naruto got it from.

"I was also wondering if you would teach me how to… cook." She blushed even more.

Kakashi laughed. He expected her ask him to help her train for the tournament. "Sure, but that wasn't what I expected from you."

"What did you expect?" Naruto eyed him.

"I was expecting you to ask me to help you train for the tournament."

Naruto who still sitting on her Sensei's lap, rubbed the back of her head. "Can you help me with that too?" She was just too innocence and it was driving Kakashi insane. He wanted to jump at her right now and get it over with since he knew that he wouldn't be able to resist an angel like her for much longer. He could have to deal with the consequences later, if he jumped at her. "Hai."

She wrapped her good arm around his neck making them all the more look rather intimate. Her head rested on his shoulder. "Thanks."

"It is nothing." He chuckled, mind was running wild. Kakashi was a pervert. It was that simple. It was a bad idea to be in this position with a hot girl, who he deeply cared for. "I have to something to do, but I can't leave 'til Sai comes back."

"Okay." She blushed as she looked down. She wiggled out of his arms.

Naruto was in her father's study later that day. Kakashi was gone and Sai checked up on her every half an hour. She didn't mind at all, but that was because she was busy cleaning up Minato's office. She was proud of herself. She was a messy person and yet she was able to clean up this messy office. She had all the scrolls put away and the important documents filed. Naruto smiled. At least, she was able to do something good. Now, she was sittingon her father's chair thinking about everything. She sighed.

I'm taking this off! The sling was a pain in her ass. She threw it across the room. Her arm wasn't broken anymore, but that didn't mean it was a hundred percent ok. It still hurt like hell if she over used it. Tsunade was coming down tomorrow with Gaara since he was due to arrive with his sibling, to check her arm. Naruto hoped she would get the okay to train since the tournament was in four days. She couldn't wait.

She was in same thinking position like most people when they sat at their desk. Naruto gritted her teeth due to her right arm that started to hurt. Her pain was visibly written on her face. This pose was putting too much stress on her weakened arm. She hated being restricted like this.

"Naruto, you shouldn't put too much pressure on that arm. It isn't completely healed yet." Naruto looked towards the door way to see her fellow teammate, Sakura, who stood in middle of the door way. "And you shouldn't think that hard either. You might injure something."

"Everybody thinks, Sakura!" Naruto said in her cheerful voice, pretending to be insulted. Her pain seemed to disappear for a moment.

"What are teammates for?"

"Where is Lee?"

"He's talking to Sai downstairs." Sakura was glowing. She took a seat down in front of the blonde. "Why are you in the Yondaime's study?"

"I can't train. I can't leave……I can't do pretty much anything." Naruto whined. "There are a lot of interesting things in here." Naruto rested her injured arms on the cherry wood desk. "So why are you here?" Naruto asked with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Why? Can't I visit you without the third degree?" Sakura waved off.

Naruto eyed her. "I know you. What is it?" Sakura and Naruto were so close that one could always tell when the other was up to something, and Sakura was up to something. There was no doubt about it. "Just tell me."

"It's about Sasuke." Sakura paused.

Naruto cut in before Sakura could say anything else. "I don't want to talk about Chicken Butt." Naruto's mood was going downhill, fast.

"I know, but he didn't mean to say those things." Naruto looked at her with utter disbelief. "Don't look at me like that. Sasuke is known to say anything, when he's angry."

"I don't care. He said horrible things to me."

"I know, but Sasuke had been depressed, since he isn't allowed to see you…… He loves you!" Sakura revealed to the naive blond.

"And he has a funny way of showing it!"

"He isn't good at showing his emotions."

"Don't defend him. Let him defend himself." Naruto folded her arms against her chest. Her arm was still hurting, but she could deal with it.

"He can't. Tsunade won't let him see you!" Sakura slammed her fists down against the desk. "He wants to, trust me. It's just that the Anbu won't let him within a hundred feet of this house." Sakura remained standing.

Naruto let out a sigh. "Even if I was ready to forgive him, I can't. In the cave, that teme reminded me of guy who tried to r-rape me." Her hair hid her azure eyes.

"…"

"I had to live through all the emotions again……I'm not a sex object." Naruto brought her arms to her chest. "Any ways, neither I nor Sasuke are ready for a relationship. I'm really not in the right place, at the moment."

"That is understandable."

"Besides, I'm not sure about my feeling anymore."

"Wait…….THERE'S ANOTHER GUY, ISN'T THERE?" Sakura gasped. Naruto likes another guy. That will break Sasuke. She paused in her thoughts when Naruto didn't make eye contact. It's okay, if she likes someone. She lied to herself.

"No, there isn't." Naruto paused. "But I feel different around this guy. My heart beats fast and I lose all train of thought." Sakura was waiting for a name. I can't tell her who. She would think I'm crazy, if I tell her what happened in the kitchen today.

"Well, who is it?"

"…….I wanted to keep it to myself." Naruto paused. "I'm not ready for a relationship anyway, so what's the point of analyzing my feeling or anything like that?" She sat back on her chair, or rather her father's chair. It gave her a sense of power.

"Naruto." She spoke in a low voice. She decided to change the subject. "So are you entering the tournament?"

"Yep, are you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Don't tell anyone, but I'm…" Sakura began as she placed her hand on her stomach. She smiled as she spoke. She was truly glowing.

Naruto rose from her seat rather fast. "Sakura, are you getting fatter? Are you eating too much?" She joked.
Sakura wanted to punch her. "NO, BAKA."

"Don't hurt me…. I just can't believe you are pregnant." Naruto felt something in her chest, but she brushed it aside. "How far along?"

"A couple of months."

Naruto smiled. "I am so happy for you!" She paused before offering, "If you need anything, I will be there. I would love to help."

"Thanks, Naruto. I might take you up on that offer." Sakura paused. "I don't know if I can handle Rock Lee and his Sensei."

The Next Day.

Naruto sat on the sofa, waiting; Sai was sitting on the sofa across the room and Kakashi was in a different room talking to Sakura about God knows what. Naruto's best guess was Sasuke, but she couldn't be sure. Her mind was on the Kazekage and Hokage. They were due to arrive soon and she couldn't wait. Sai, on the other hand wasn't in a good mood. He disliked the Kazekage and his family although he liked them better than the Uchiha.

There was a knock at the door. Naruto jumped up the next second. She opened the door to see Tsunade, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. Tsunade glanced over the sun kiss blond. "Gaki, where is your sling?"

"It was annoying me!" Naruto took off as Tsunade chased her around the house.

"Gaki, if you end up killing yourself, I will kill you."

"How is that possible?" Naruto hollered back to Tsunade as the two ran all around the estate. (By the way, Naruto's arm is perfectly fine now.)

"I will find a way!"

"You don't want me hurt, so if you harm me, wouldn't that be hurting me!"

"Gaki, shut that smart mouth of yours."

At that moment, Kakashi and Sakura came out to see what was going on. Their mouths fell at the sight of the Godaime and the daughter of the Yondaime, along with Sai who was in utter disbelief. Temari and Kankuro were on the ground laughing their asses off. Gaara was also in a state of shock but hid it better than Sai. He was judging whether to jump in or not. The Tournament was in three days. They didn't have time for this.

Hours later

Tsunade was back in the Hokage's office with Sai and Kakashi. One of them was supposed to be with Naruto at all times but Tsunade said she needed to see them both immediately. Tsunade thought it would be okay since Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara were with Naruto. Sai was rather upset to say the least. He didn't want to leave Naruto with the Sand siblings let alone Gaara, since he knew that the Kazekage liked Naruto and that Kankuro and Temari would do anything to get them together. Kakashi had mixed feeling, but there was nothing for him to do.

Naruto was laying on her stomach in the living room studying some of the scrolls from her father's study. She was rather protective of these scrolls. She didn't let them out of her sight or even let anyone else but her touch them. She wasn't going to let anything happen to them. She even put more than one Jutsu on her father's study. These scrolls were really important to her, and she wasn't taking any chances.

Gaara sat on the sofa. He was doing some paperwork while watching everyone's favorite blonde. Temari and Kankuro were training in the enormous back yard that could fit more than one training field. Naruto couldn't wait until she could train, which wouldn't be until tomorrow. But at least, she had some new Jutsu to read about.

"Naruto, what's so special about those scrolls?" Gaara asked as he looked down at her body. She looked rather hot as she swung her legs back and forth.

Naruto didn't even look up. "It belonged to my father."

"…"

"It's okay!" Naruto cheered as she picked up the important scrolls. She rolled the one she was studying up and sat down next to the red head. He seemed emotionless, but Naruto wouldn't give up on him. She would make him show some kind of emotion, even if it killed her.

"Hn."

"Can you not do that?"

"Sure." One word, well it wasn't really a word, made her sweat and Gaara noticed it. He was sure it has something to do with the last Uchiha.

They sat there talking. They were there for hours and it was only a matter of time before Temari and Kankuro comes in.

Temari giggled at the sight of the two. Kankuro was trying his best not to burst out laughing. Naruto and Gaara were sleeping rather intimately close on the sofa. Naruto had her face on his chest and Gaara had his arm wrapped around her waist. Scrolls rested on the floor close to the sofa.

"Should we wake them?"

"No," Temari answered. She turned to leave the room. The Sand Sibling was staying in the house for a couple of days. There was no other better place for them to stay in since this place already has Anbu watching it. "I'm going to bed, but I want to be up when they wake up."

Kankuro snickered. "I agree. I have to see their faces."

Two days before the tournament, the following day.

Naruto laid on the sofa still sleep. She had a good night sleep. It was the best sleep she had in years. She felt warm and safe, and she had no idea why. She couldn't guess why even when she tried her best to think about it. She forced her eyes open to see chest. She looked down to see an arm wrapped around her waist, making her turn red. She was redder a tomato, when she realized who's arms she was in.

Gaara lay still asleep. When she first met the boy, he wasn't able to sleep. Now he could since his demon was gone, but it still was a weird sight.

Naruto had a habit of getting into awkward positions with men. And in every situation, she would turn into a bright red tomato. What was wrong with her? If there was nothing wrong with her, then what was wrong with all these men? Was the human race going insane? It had to be in Naruto's eyes. It was all sex crazy! To add to that, it seemed like everyone wanted to get into her pants. Even people she didn't know would stare at her like she was some piece of meat. Poor Naruto! She was too innocent for this perverted world that she was living in.

Naruto didn't want to wake up the sleeping Kazekage who would surely make the situation worse if he woke up. She wiggled slowly out of his warm arms. She stood for a second as she looked at him. She picked up her scrolls from the night before and dropped them off in the study.

The sun was shining through the empty hallway. It was an hour past dawn. The house was very quiet since Naruto was the only one up at the moment. Naruto was a morning person so she was always the first one up. Her shadows moved around the upper half of the house. Her fingers ran along the walls.

Naruto wanted to get outside but she wasn't allowed to leave the house. She stood on the steps as she looked out to the backyard. It was a big backyard. She couldn't even see the whole of it, that a person could easily get lost in it.

The window that overlooks her backyard reflected her image that shows how worried she looked like. I'm going to the backyard. There are Anbu watching the whole estate, so I should be fine. Naruto soon found herself at the French glass doors. She pushed them wide open.

The backyard was even bigger then what it looks like from the inside the house. It was about the size of five training fields. There was a pond in the back and across it was a big garden, and a couple of benches between them can be found. In the area in front of her, was a long empty green patch of grass. It was probably were her father trained since at the far end of the patch are some training equipment. She wasn't in the mood to train at that moment. She just had a weird/bad week.

She took a seat on the cool ground next to the pond that still has some fishes and even a couple of toads in it, and a tiny water fall. She ran her fingers through the water. It was cold, but she didn't mind it.

She could sense the Anbu watching her. She wanted to be alone but she wasn't going to get that lucky. She needed to be alone. They are just doing this to protect you. She hated this. She could protect herself……well, maybe she couldn't. Anyway, she didn't need a babysitter…… well, maybe she did. She didn't want to be treated like a baby. I'm not a baby! She whined in her head. And only babies whine!

Kakashi didn't know what to make of the day before. Sakura had a talk with him about Sasuke; Tsunade chased Naruto around the estate and even had a talk with him about Sasuke; When he came back to the house, Naruto and Gaara were sound asleep on the sofa. It felt like something was cutting at him when he saw them, but he didn't wake them up. It wasn't his place to wake up the blonde. Sai was about to, but Kakashi just sent him away. It really wasn't Sai's place either!

Kakashi couldn't sense Naruto in the house. He found his anger raising. How could she leave the house?! He yelled in his mind. His body froze on the steps when he saw her outside beside the pond. She ran her fingers through the water. She looked so…… He shook his head. He couldn't think about these things. It wouldn't be right. Besides, if what Sakura said was right, Sasuke still loved the blonde Kunoichi. It was probably true. The Uchiha was never good with his words or emotions. Kakashi should have known that, but he wasn't going to rush anything with Sasuke and Naruto.

Naruto felt someone coming her way, but she didn't even take a glance. "Hai, Sensei?"

"You make me feel old." Came his response. He stood behind her.

"Buuut you are old!" She was hyper as normal, but there was a hint of sadness in her voice. It was only visible if you were looking for it.

"That makes me feel just great." He played with her. He really didn't mind her comment. It was something that he enjoyed.

"Don't feel bad. Anyone older than me is an old goat."

"That's good. So what does that made Tsunade?"

"A really old goat!" Came Naruto's cheerful answer.

"Just don't let her hear you say that. You know how she feels about her age." Kakashi chuckled. Never ever talk about the Hokage's age if you don't want to die! He placed his hand on her shoulder. "So do you want train? Only a couple of days left before the tournament."

She turned to face Kakashi. "ONLY TWO DAYS! THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I NEED TO DO AND I WAS DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ALL DAY!" She jumped on her feet with her fists in the air.

"Okay." He waved his hands in defense. "Let's get going then."

The next morning: a day before the tournament.

Naruto found herself in her father's study yet again. She was still tired from training with Kakashi and Sai since he joined them. They were training for sometime yesterday, they had a lot to do, well in Naruto's eyes they do.

But that was yesterday, and today's a new day. Naruto yawned. She had too many things to do 'til the start of the tournament the following day. She decided to study the scrolls in her father's study since this was the only place she could think.

Never put Sai and Gaara in a room and expect to get work done. They always had remarks about the other one. Naruto could only stand an hour in a room with them before she starts to pull out her hair. What was it with boys that they always had to top one another?

Naruto looked up from the desk. She heard footsteps coming her way. She left the door open. She didn't like to close it whenever she was in there; she didn't like to be closed in. She had developed claustrophobia. She could thank Yuki for that. He made her jump every time she heard a sound, made her sweat every time she was in small rooms. It sickened her. Calm down, Naruto. No one is going to get you in a house filled with all your friends. Footsteps became louder. Her heart was beating rapidly against her chest. She tried to look calm, but she failed.

She closed her eyes. "How did you get in here?"

Naruto's heartbeat began to slow down. Cerulean eyes looked up to see a certain silver haired jounin. "Jiraiya showed me a couple unlocking jutsu, and one of them worked on the door." She smiled as she tried to hide her fear from before.

"There are lots of important things in this room." Kakashi saw her fear when he first walked into the room. He also saw it vanished little by little. It broke his heart.

"I know." She answered. She showed him a scroll she was studying. "I take no one was able to unlock this room?"

"Yep, no one has ever been able to unlock it……It has been many years since I have been in this room." He looked around. "It seems like you cleaned up." She nodded. "Minato-Sensei was a messy person. It drove me crazy." He laughed as he thought about it.

"So you and my father were close?"

"Close as any student and Sensei are." He answered.

"Can you tell me something about him?"

"He loved ramen just like you." Kakashi said as he remembered eating with that man. Minato could eat. "But I bet he could out eat you."

Naruto jumped up and flexed her muscles. "No one can out eat me in ramen eating!" She cheered. "I'm the ramen ki—queen." It was still hard for her to kick off the habit of referring to herself as a boy.

"Hm."

"What?"

"You are just as hyperactive as your mother, Kushina," Kakashi revealed to the girl. "However, your father, Minato, was calm and collective." He said as he looked at a photo of the famous couple.

"Really?" Naruto asked. He nodded. I act like my mother and look like my father. She smiled. She had both of them in her. She wanted it that way.

"I don't know how Minato handled Kushina." He looked up. "She was a handful. She was like a bomb, when it goes off… out of control."

"Wait a minute."

"What?" Kakashi asked playing dumb.

"Does that mean you think I'm a handful?" Naruto asked with an evil look on her face. When Naruto had an evil look in her eyes, run away in the opposite direction! She could be very dangerous when she wanted to be.

"Hai." Kakashi said with no hint of fear. He was going to have some fun with her today just like Minato would with Kushina. It was clean fun, wasn't it?

"What's that suppose to mean?" Naruto jumped on the desk. Kakashi remained sitting. He knew how to push her buttons. "Answer me!"

"Are you that stupid?"

That was it. Naruto jumped on him, but he disappeared. It was a clone! When did he switch himself? She thought. It didn't matter thought. She would hunt him down and would get back at him. She knew he was only teasing her, but that didn't mean she would let him get away with it. It was all good fun, right?

Sai sat on the sofa drawing his favorite blonde when a certain silver-haired Jounin popped in. Sai eyed him, but didn't say anything. He returned to his drawing which was what he did most of the time. He was rather quiet, since he got here. It was so unlike him. It was like was he was replaced with someone else. Sai only moved when he needed or wanted to. He was like a robot in some way.

Kakashi stared at the ex-root member who he didn't trust much to begin with. But now, he really didn't trust him. He seemed different like he was someone else. Kakashi froze. It couldn't be true, right? It had to be Sai. It couldn't be a fake. Kakashi moved his hand to his hitai-ate. He had his Sharingan eye ready. He glazed over the brunet. See, Kakashi. You were just over reacting. He lowered his hitai-ate back over his eye. It was really Sai.

There was a knock at the door. Kakashi opened it to reveal Jiraiya. He looked like he got beaten up. "Caught peeking again, I take it." Kakashi responded. Sai never looked up from his sketches.

"How did you know?" Jiraiya joked. That was what he gets whenever he spied on Tsunade in the hot springs. He was lucky she didn't kill him.

"Well-" Kakashi started.

"KAKASHI, YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE!"

"Kakashi, why is Naruto yelling at you?" Jiraiya eyed him.

"I was teasing her." Kakashi rubbed his head.

"I see it now." Jiraiya realized. I should have realized it sooner. He thought.

"See what?"

"You like her."

"She is the daughter of my Sensei." Kakashi didn't deny it nor did he admit it and Jiraiya noticed that.

"And?" Jiraiya wasn't going to let him off the hook.

"I do-" Kakashi began but once again, someone interrupted him.

"KAKASHI, I'M GOING TO GET YOU," Naruto cried out at the bottom of the steps. She didn't notice Jiraiya 'til she jumped on Kakashi's back. "You better take that back, Sensei." She ordered from the nice spot on his back.

"Take what back?" Kakashi asked innocently. He didn't mind the hundred pounds addition. He rather enjoyed it.

"You know……Hey Ero-Sennin!" She said when she finally noticed Jiraiya.

"Stop calling me that!" Jiraiya yelled at the blonde. He maybe a pervert, but that didn't mean he wanted to be called that in public.

"Did you get caught peeking again?" She asked still on Kakashi's back. She thought nothing wrong with her position on her Sensei's back, far too innocent. She just enjoyed messing with him. Kakashi was fun to play with. (Not that way, you sick perverts!)

"Maybe." Jiraiya eyed her. She is still on his back and she's acting like it's no big deal. Maybe she likes him as well. "The tournament starts tomorrow and you two are playing around when you have more important things to do."

"I know." Naruto finally jumped off Kakashi's back. "Let's go train."

Naruto and the others made their way outside, Sai even joined them. He didn't say much but he did take part in the training, which he badly needed. He was taking part in the tournament as well. What would be his wish?

Aside from that, Sai wanted to keep an eye on Kakashi and Naruto. They seemed to be spending a lot of time together. He maybe her bodyguard, but she was spending a little too much time with him. To add to that, She was laughing and having fun with him. There was even a smile on her face.

It made Sai burn up in side. He thought he just had to worry only about Sasuke Uchiha since he knew the other fan boys didn't have a chance. Kakashi would be harder to deal with. But then again, Kakashi could control himself. The Uchiha on the other hand would do anything to get what he wanted.

The Chicken Butt was a real pain in Sai's butt whenever he saw him. Sasuke wouldn't take no as an answer, when it comes to Naruto. "Where is she?" "How is she?" "Take me to her or else." "Hurt her and you will never see daylight again." "Touch her and I will kill you." "Even think about her and your life will be forfeit in the most painful way." "She's mine." Sasuke's words wouldn't stay out of Sai's head. It was haunting him. He just hoped that Sasuke would stay away from Naruto in the Forbidden Forest the next day, though he doubted he would. That Uchiha was annoying.

I hope you like this chapter and don't worry if you point out my mistakes. I promise I won't attack you!

Please review.

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Thanks for reading!

-Cass