Book XIII: Nakama

Gai

Gai considered himself to be a simple man. He lived a simple but robust life, he enjoyed simple pleasures with vigorous delight, and compared to the brilliant minds of people like Shikamaru or Kakashi, he didn't mind thinking of himself as being simple-minded. While he certainly wouldn't go so far as to call himself stupid, he knew he lacked the complexity of a genius brain. And he was happy with that. In fact, he had observed over the years that lacking a genius brain of complexity was one of the things that allowed him to find so much joy in living his simple life.

Geniuses tended to be rather unhappy most of the time because they would dwell on unnecessary details all the time. It was a grandly magnificent thing to use those complex brains to pick apart every little detail on the battlefield so an intricate strategy of victory could be created, but it was a frustrating trial to watch those same geniuses turn their own detail-oriented brains against themselves. And when that genius happened to be his very good friend and eternal rival, it was heart-rendingly painful.

The moment Gai caught sight of Kakashi standing under the shade of a tree at the far side of the small park, he knew the rumors he'd been hearing about the man possibly finding himself a lady-love to share his heart with were true. He looked DREADFUL. Only Kakashi could do that to himself because he'd found happiness, it was ridiculous. The cold pit of worry in his stomach did nothing to sway the tempest of elation in his chest, and he sternly ignored the unpleasant sensation of deja vu as he made his way toward his friend. Memories of his more youthful days scouring the village streets to find Kakashi after not having seen him for several months were pushed aside. Kakashi wasn't in ANBU anymore, and the fear of seeing glimpses of a haunted distant expression with death casting shadows under his friend's eye was unnecessary.

However, a thorough inspection was necessary to assess the current state of his haggard-looking rival's overall health. Judging from the fit of his clothes Kakashi had lost too much weight for Gai's comfort, but he wasn't dangerously gaunt yet. His posture was fatigued but not relaxed, a stance typical of chakra exhaustion and stress. The barely noticeable twitch of his shoulders meant he was holding back an unusually large amount of irritation, something was definitely bothering him. A poke at his knee yielded no subtle defensive reflex that would indicate Kakashi was hiding an injury, so Gai was left with the conclusion that Kakashi's troubles stemmed from the aforementioned matters of the heart. But first things first. His rival needed food, he was far too thin.

...and far too stubborn, damn it. Gai didn't want to relent, but the fact that Kakashi was flashing his temper meant the troubles at the root of his problem were much deeper than Gai initially suspected. Kakashi was in pain, and he needed someone to lash out at. Well, that's what friends were for, right? So, Gai started talking. He wasn't clever enough to be subtly manipulative, but Kakashi was so on edge that all he needed to do was simply express his actual feelings to get the man to react. It worked splendidly until the end, when Kakashi tensed at the last second to win the match he was no longer paying attention to with 'Rock', staring into the wind and looking like he was about to fly apart or crumble into dust.

Sighing, he slung his arm over Kakashi's shoulders to get him walking in the direction he obviously wanted to go, but was doing a terrible job trying to hide it. It was indescribably delightful and deeply moving to see his aloof and cool friend harboring so much fiery passion, but the truth of the matter was that Gai could see it only because Kakashi's usually reticent manner was worn down and strained. The shoulders under his arm felt thin and brittle, and Gai scolded his friend on his eating habits. But those shoulders were also vibrating with tension and ready to snap. Kakashi was losing control, and that was actually a rather dangerous situation. That was why Gai didn't let go when he felt the subtle hitch in Kakashi's stride that was fighting the desire to break into a run.

Naruto and Shikamaru's appearance had Kakashi cringing, and Gai thought it was simply because the pair would delay them for a bit. The momentary distraction would probably do Kakashi some good, though, and Gai was just soaring inside at the prospect of also maybe getting a clue as to who Naruto was so taken with. It wouldn't be long before he would come to regret his decision to take his eyes off Naruto, glancing around at the scattered people in the Market District to see if he could pick out the woman who had effectively stolen his rival's heart.

When he looked back at the blonde coming to a halt in front of them, he was completely unprepared for the expression on the young man's face. The half-formed smile of greeting froze in place on Gai's lips, and all he could do was stare as his mind came to a grinding halt. The word 'smitten' came unbidden to the forefront of his stunned thoughts, and he reflexively darted his gaze to Kakashi as the man pushed back against his arm as if trying to inch away from Naruto in an attempt to make the whole situation less brain-breaking than it already was. Of course, it didn't really work.

It was during times like these that Gai found it most advantageous that he was a simple man. If he'd been a genius he would have been reacting similarly to Shikamaru, and he would have been rendered unable to recover swiftly because he would have been hindered by countless unnecessary details. Naruto had always been open about liking girls, and Kakashi had never given any indication to the opposite effect either. But it was a moot point because the detail about which gender anyone cared to be with had never mattered to Gai. It still didn't.

He grimaced thoughtfully as that issue was shuffled aside. Another problem was that a relationship between the two was a violation of the Jounin code of ethics, and it was a punishable offense. Since Gai had no control over something like that, the detail was also shuffled aside. Admittedly, he was not happy that his friend had chosen to be with a former student, but there was no helping it, no stopping it, and the two of them were grown adults. Kakashi certainly wasn't the type of man to simply indulge in a one-time fling with someone as precious to him as Naruto, so Gai put that bit of ire on the back burner.

Now that his mind had some room to breathe, he was free to observe the situation clearly. And he did not like it. The more Gai watched, the angrier he became. Kakashi was holding himself back viciously, the effort causing the muscles in his shoulders to tremble and flinch. This was not what Kakashi should be doing! He should be leaping forward and carrying Naruto off into the sunset! Or...well...perhaps the other way around, considering Kakashi's current state of health... At any rate, he should not be killing himself by worrying about what other people thought! Gai was starting to get genuinely frightened that Kakashi would dig himself into a pit, leaving himself far too vulnerable to attacks from people who would be against the relationship. Something had to be done, and Gai steeled his resolve as he grabbed the collar of Kakashi's vest.

...for you, my friend, I will not let you run...

"We need to talk, my friend," Gai said, his voice low and serious. Every step was like a knife through his heart, and he plunged the blade in again and again as he focused on what he was going to have to do. He buried his emotions beneath the fires of rage, despising and loathing himself.

"Well, that's going to be rather difficult during an eating competition," Kakashi said, his wry humor half-hearted.

...for you, my friend, I will not let you hide...

"You declined that challenge, so I will choose another," Gai replied coldly, tightening his grip on the vest and using a burst of chakra to transport them to the large training field used by Jounin and ANBU. As he let go of Kakashi's collar, he knew his friend would not listen to him no matter how inspirational his words were. Kakashi was already giving up. "I choose taijutsu," he growled, opening the first five of the Eight Gates in rapid succession. It was surprisingly easy, and he knew it was because he was already in so much pain.

"Gai, if you want to talk, then we can just talk," Kakashi sighed, pushing himself to his feet.

...for you, my friend, I will be ruthless...

Every word he spoke was absolute truth, which made the lies he didn't say all the more cutting. All it took was a change in his tone of voice and innocent statements were made vile, worthy compliments became hateful, and words of encouragement were twisted into accusations. Kakashi's greatest adversaries were his own guilt and doubt, and Gai was determined to drive the stubborn man into a corner to face those demons within. He would be the one person his friend feared the most, and he would attack relentlessly while Kakashi was at his weakest. He would crush Kakashi with the weight of Konoha's expectations while he was already on his knees and ready to shatter. He would show no mercy, and demand that none be shown to him! He would force his friend to fight back! And he would make Kakashi WIN!

It took every last ounce of willpower he had to keep himself from grinning like an idiot when Kakashi snarled defiantly in his face and ripped the ligaments in his knee and shoulder, because he knew without a shadow of a doubt that no one would ever be able to hurt his friend again.

Yamato

Yamato had to admit he was envious. Stuffing his hands in his pockets as he walked down the street, he gave himself a wryly amused smile. Okay, he might even be a little jealous, but he felt entitled to it. He just wished he hadn't heard everything through the dubious machinations of the rumor mill. A week ago he'd returned to Konoha to learn that Naruto had found himself a girlfriend earlier that month, and yesterday he'd come back to discover Kakashi was quite possibly seeing someone. Normally the second bit of gossip would have been passed off as just gossip, but there was no denying he'd seen evidence pointing to that possibility himself. Kicking a pebble idly, he spotted Sai on a bench across the street from a small dango shop with a bandage over his eye, his sketchbook open on his lap, and a scroll unfurled next to him.

"Mind if I join you, Sai?" Yamato asked, strolling up to the young man.

"Hmm? No, not at all, taichou," Sai replied, glancing up briefly before returning to put the finishing touches on his sketch. Yamato watched in silence, looking from the drawing to the outdoor tables Sai was trying to replicate. "The perspective is off, isn't it," he said thoughtfully, setting his pencil down and looking at Yamato.

"It can't really be helped when you've only got the use of one eye," he shrugged. "What happened?"

"It's an acid burn that melted part of my cornea," Sai said with a cheerful smile.

"Okay...Sai, you really shouldn't smile like that when telling people about your injuries..."

"Really?" Sai blinked, looking somewhat disappointed. "But I've observed many people smiling while they are injured in order to sooth the concerns of others. It seems to work quite well for them."

"You're on the right track, your timing is just a little off," Yamato chuckled. "Wait to smile until you're actually voicing words to soothe those concerns. Things like 'It doesn't hurt much'."

"Oh, but it hurts quite a bit."

"Or 'It's not as bad as it looks'," Yamato sighed, starting to get that sinking feeling of defeat.

"But it looks rather disgusting, and Sakura told me it was a bad wound." He paused for a beat, tilting his head. "Would you like to see it?"

"No, Sai, I wouldn't," Yamato said, passing his hand over his eyes and slumping against the back of the bench.

There was a moment of silence as Sai furrowed his brow in contemplation, then that cheerful smile was back in place. "She also told me that I should make a full recovery in a week."

"Better," Yamato nodded with a quiet laugh. "Much better. And I'm happy to hear you'll recover. By the way, did you ever come to a conclusion with all that research you were doing the last time I saw you?"

"Relationships between people are complex and baffling things," he said, shaking his head and turning his sketchbook to a blank page.

"They're as varied and unpredictable as the people involved," Yamato said, lifting his hands helplessly. "Take Naruto for example."

"Yes, that is troubling," Sai mused, picking up a small ink mouse scurrying around his feet. "It seems Naruto is incapable of maintaining his discretion now that he's engaged in sexual relations with his partner. He was doing quite well up until that point, though. I didn't think the act of coupling with another person was something that could bring about such an obvious and swift change."

Yamato had to take a moment to process the awkwardness out of Sai's blunt observation, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "Ah, well...the act of...intimacy affects people in different ways," he mumbled. "His...er...partner is staying very discreet about it."

"That's just it," Sai sighed, setting the mouse down and tracing the edge of his sketchbook with a finger. "Relatively speaking, Naruto's partner is being just as obvious as he is, but no one is seeing it because no one is expecting it. It's becoming a bit concerning. I don't want to see either of them get hurt because of it, but I'm not entirely sure there's anything I can or should do about it. My research also resulted in a great deal of advice on not speaking about or getting involved in other people's relationships when assistance wasn't requested."

"Have you told anyone else about this?" Yamato asked, confused and starting to get worried over the young man's underlying distress.

"No."

"Then why did you tell me?"

"Because Naruto just returned to the village, and me keeping it a secret will most likely become a moot point very soon," Sai replied, pointing at the ink mouse before it jumped into the open scroll next to him.

"All right," Yamato said, placing his palms on his knees. "Let's hear who it is."

"Kakashi-senpai."

"...Sai, that isn't funny," Yamato said darkly.

"I wasn't attempting to make a joke, I am being completely serious."

"Then you better have a damn good reason for coming to that conclusion," he growled, his mind racing in denial as pieces of two separate puzzles he never EVER would have imagined fitting together were falling into place as smooth as silk. But it was still all wild speculation and baseless assumption, there was just no way it was really happening!

"I first noticed something different when I retrieved them from the end of Naruto's undercover mission this year," Sai said, scowling slightly as he considered how to explain what he was thinking. "Kakashi-senpai was holding Naruto."

"Naruto was dying, you can't jump to conclusions based off a situation like that!" Yamato scolded, trying to clear his mind, trying not to let more pieces fall together as he recalled the week he'd spent with Naruto after he'd gotten out of the hospital.

He hadn't asked the things that crushes were supposed to ask! He hadn't asked about what Kakashi liked to eat, what his favorite color was, how many girlfriends he'd had, none of it! He'd asked silly random things! What was Kakashi like in ANBU? Was he different back then? Was he more serious? Did he still have his porn with him all the time? Was he always late then, too? Yamato had quite honestly had his suspicions that Kakashi had somehow put Naruto up to the barrage of questions by saying something ridiculously mysterious, just to make his life a living hell while Kakashi foisted the chores on his shoulders.

"I've seen comrades hold each other as they die, this was different," Sai insisted calmly.

"How was it different? Just show me," Yamato said, scrubbing his face and fighting back a looming sense of panic.

If something had happened and Naruto had started showing some sort of curiosity, then it was no surprise that Kakashi had bolted for a week. But Naruto was an unstoppable force, and Kakashi wasn't the immovable object everyone thought he was. Kakashi's nightmares suddenly made sense, and that was a really bad-

Yamato's brain came to a screeching halt, because Sai was sliding his legs over his thighs with a deadpan straight face, and things could not possibly get any more absurdly weird!

"What the hell are you doing?!" Yamato demanded, grabbing Sai's arms to keep him from trying to climb any farther onto his lap.

"You asked me to show you," Sai said matter-of-factly, looking slightly confused.

"By DRAWING IT, Sai! Not by demonstrating it!"

"But this is much quicker."

"I don't mind waiting," Yamato grated, clenching his jaw and trying desperately not to come unglued.

Sai shrugged and swung his legs back over the edge of the bench before picking up his sketchbook and pencil. Yamato leaned forward on his elbows and rested his face in his hands, wondering when he was going to wake up from this nightmare.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Sai said apologetically. "I was not trying to flirt with you."

"I know," he groaned, resisting the urge to start breaking down into pathetic sobs. "Just talk about something else. Why are you putting Naruto and Kakashi-senpai together based off that one incident?"

"It isn't just the one incident, that was when I first noticed something different. The changes I saw in both of them grew gradually from there, but they were very intent on hiding it, so it was difficult trying to figure out if they were actively going through a courting ritual. There aren't any books that discuss how two men woo each other. I had to draw conclusions from several sources."

"Your choice in source material is questionable from what I saw," Yamato drawled, straightening back up as the sound of pencil on paper stopped.

"Some of it was surprisingly helpful and accurate," Sai said neutrally, holding up the sketch. Yamato's heart stopped as he gaped at the image. "I had thought Kakashi-senpai was unconscious at the time, but when I started to lift Naruto out of his arms he almost killed me. I don't think he remembers it at all."

"Don't tell anyone about this yet, understand?" Yamato ordered, tearing the page out of the book and ignoring the twinge of guilt at Sai's rigid reflexive nod.

He folded the sketch and stuffed it in his pocket as he leaped over the rooftops, fear grinding behind the fury rattling in his chest. Why was he stuck with such an idiotic senpai?! Why the hell hadn't that stubborn moron SAID SOMETHING?! He could have helped! He could have at least been there to listen! Okay, yes, he would have been irate at first, but he would have gotten over it! But so much time had passed, and he knew the way guilt could literally eat away at Kakashi like a fatal sickness. He'd seen it before, and it was a frightening thing to watch.

The stupid man could do such stupid things, changing plans at the last second during a mission to put himself in the greatest danger just so the rest of the squad had a higher chance of survival. Yamato had hated that in ANBU! Every blasted time Kakashi pulled that shit they would have to carry his unconscious ass back to Konoha! Mission accomplished, all squad members accounted for, but where's your commander? Oh, he's in the hospital...AGAIN... That man was far too willing to sacrifice himself for the good of others. Sure, he was selfish with the petty crap, but when it came to the important things he was stepping out into the line of fire with a smile and a shrug before you could blink.

A whisper of killing intent skated across his outstretched senses, and he headed toward it without a second thought. It was muted and coming from the direction of the Jounin training field, and it was utterly absurd thinking Kakashi was out there fighting with someone. Then again, 'absurd' seemed to be the word of the day. He dashed through the trees and cringed at the flash of electricity in the distance, landing just in time to see a pair of ANBU pause at the edge of the barrier. Damn it, he was too late!

"Don't interfere!" Yamato barked at the familiar ANBU agents.

"Sir, our orders-"

"I know why Tsunade-sama sent you," he said stonily as he walked up to them, looking past them to the two men in the open grassy field. "That's why I'm telling you not to interfere. If you jump in there you'll only get yourselves blown away. It won't take long, anyway, just wait it out."

He had no way of knowing if Gai's method was the better choice, and it was futile debating it after the gears had already been set in motion. Stopping it now would destroy everything. His stomach clenched painfully at the state Kakashi was in; beaten and battered, on his knees and looking like he was about to shatter from the words Gai was hurling and shouting at him. He caught the subtle shift in posture of the ANBU on his left, and he bound them both in wooden shackles as he fought the overwhelming urge to stop Gai. If Gai landed that punch Kakashi would die. End of story. And Yamato would be an accomplice to murder. But he had to trust Gai. He had to trust that Gai knew Kakashi just as well, if not better.

Yamato had never felt more relieved and more furious at the sight of his senpai coming unhinged in a defiant moment of madness, and he released the shackles holding the two younger ANBU in place. He was so angry he could beat Kakashi's face in! Why had it taken so much to get him to fight back?! Why couldn't he just be happy with being fucking happy?! Why did he have to do this?! Why couldn't he just...

"How did this happen, senpai?" Yamato asked quietly, fists clenched and trembling at his sides.

"I don't know," Kakashi rasped helplessly.

GOD DAMN HIM! His fist connected with the taller man's eye before he realized it, and it didn't make him feel any better. Why couldn't that fool just admit it?!

"Then figure it out!" Yamato hissed, walking past as he headed to where Gai was sitting.

"You're a strict kohai," Gai sighed, shaking his head as Yamato stopped next to him. "That was cruel."

"I don't need to hear that from you," he snapped, glancing over his shoulder as he felt the chakra surge from the departing ANBU. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital, you're a mess."

"Nope, I'm fine here," Gai chuckled wearily, waving Yamato's offered hand away. "Naruto will be along eventually, and I'd rather he found me here than in the hospital."

"You really think senpai will tell him?" Yamato asked in surprise as he eased himself to his knees, taking a deep breath to help cool his temper.

"No, but Naruto will figure it out," Gai smiled fondly, wincing a bit as Yamato maneuvered his shoulder back into its socket and locked it in with a wood brace.

"You're probably right," he snorted, aligning Gai's knee so he could brace it as well. "Which means we're both in for an ass-kicking."

"I earned it," Gai smirked, then frowned briefly. "Shouldn't you at least return to the Hokage Tower to report in?"

"I didn't come with those two, I just happened upon them as they arrived here," Yamato shrugged, folding his legs and leaning back on his arms.

"Then how did you find out? Surely the news hasn't begun to spread that swiftly through the general populace."

"Some of the general populace already know what's been going on," Yamato grumbled, pulling the sketch out of his pocket and unfolding it. "I ran into Sai today. This is how he found them when he went to bring them back from Naruto's undercover mission."

There was a significant pause as Gai ogled the sketch, tears pooling in his eyes as he bit his lip. "We should frame it," Gai said with a watery smile.

"We should burn it!" Yamato retorted, snatching the paper back before Gai could grab it from him. "If Kakashi-senpai finds out we have this he'll do more than just rip out tendons."

"True, but it would be worth it to see his expression," Gai grinned. "Besides, if we give it to Naruto he'd put it up on his wall. Somewhere in a prominent position where anyone who walks through the door can see it right away."

"He probably would," Yamato laughed, tucking the paper back into his pocket. He fell quiet for a few minutes, looking out at the horizon. "Is it okay like this? I mean, they're not going to be ostracized, but there's certainly going to be hardship."

"After all the hardship they've both faced their entire lives, do you really think this will defeat them?"

"No, I suppose not," Yamato chuckled. "It'd be awful nice if my stupid senpai would stop resisting, though."

"It's in his nature to resist love," Gai sighed sadly. "Too many precious loved ones have been torn away from him."

"Then he's a fool twice over for falling for Naruto," he said dryly.

"Indeed," Gai smiled. "Naruto will never let him go. His heart already belongs to Kakashi, and not Heaven or Hell will stop him from returning to where his heart is."

Time passed in a comfortable silence as they waited, and it was much faster than Yamato expected when a flash of golden light solidified into a dreadfully familiar form in front of them. The fact that it was a clone made the power radiating off of him all the more chilling as Yamato was reminded of just how strong Naruto was. And he was livid. He didn't come for answers or apologies. He was there because they had essentially beat the shit out of the man he loved, and that was all there was to it.

Gai pushed himself to his feet without help, standing a bit unbalanced but completely unafraid in the face of that wrath, and Yamato stood staunchly beside him as his accomplice. It occurred to Yamato that he would have felt less afraid deep down if there had been some scrap of killing intent and bloodlust coming from the clone. But there was only silence and anger without malice as his Biju Mode cloak faded, leaving Naruto's gold eyes shadowed with the orange of Sennin Mode.

Yamato didn't flinch at the crunching sound of Gai's ribs, but he pitied the man for his pain.

...I will not dodge my guilt, and I will accept my punishment without wavering...

The last thing he heard was the cracking of his own jawbone, and he almost smiled as consciousness fled him.

...Hokage-sama...

Sakura

To say that Sakura was put out by the fact that she hadn't been clued into whoever Naruto was dating - and holy shit SLEEPING WITH - would be a gross understatement. To a lesser degree of resentment, but much greater astonishment, was later hearing that Kakashi might even be seeing someone. She was busy with the hospital a lot, but she still made a point to try to catch up with her teammates whenever she was out and about. THEY COULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING, DAMN IT! Then again...she probably should have noticed something and dragged it out of them herself...

All in all, she was actually feeling more worried than anything, which was only sparking her ire. Back when Naruto had gone on his first date with Hinata, there had been a lingering hint of jealousy within her. It was a bittersweet remnant of the past, and it had been surprising for her to discover it. She had been so accustomed to Naruto being goofy only for her, that it was hard to see it disappear. But at the same time she was so happy to watch it vanish, because that meant Naruto was finally free of his crush on her and she was free of the sorrow of knowing she'd never be able to reciprocate that crush.

Tsunade had taken her out and poured sake down her throat that night, and they'd both laughed and cried and swapped stories about their separate trials and tribulations with Jiraiya and Naruto. It felt like she could breathe easier after that, and she settled into the comfortable position of 'sister' to Naruto with gusto. Looking back on it, she had to laugh. The only thing that had changed between them was the absence of him nagging at her to go on a date. They were still the same, and they were still friends. Maybe even better friends now that she could show more affection to him without worrying about whether or not he'd take it the wrong way.

Sakura tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with a nostalgic smile as she walked quickly into the Hokage Tower, the medical research files she'd forgotten to place on the Hokage's desk that morning held loosely at her chest. Her smile faded as her thoughts drifted back to their original course, and she scowled thoughtfully. It irked her to no end that she didn't know who Naruto had slept with, and that anger had nothing to do with jealousy. The problem wasn't that he was having sex. Goodness knows he was old enough for that. The problem was that he was trying to hide it. Poorly.

He was the type to shout stuff from the rooftops, glowing with joy and cornering everyone he knew to tell them how happy he was. Of course, this meant that the girl Naruto had been with was the one who convinced him to keep quiet. Sakura felt her eye twitch in aggravation. Why was it being kept a secret?! What was there to hide?! It was so completely baffling that she just wanted to start kicking in doors to find answers! She knew it was illogical, but she couldn't help feeling like Naruto was being manipulated into discretion. And by god heads would roll if she found out Naruto had been gullible enough to be taken in by some manipulative harpy!

Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and pushed her temper back as she walked down the hallway. She was being ridiculous. Naruto was Naruto, and he always would be. There had to be a reason for what he was doing, and it would come to light eventually. She just had to wait...and not give in to the desire to beat it out of him the next time she saw him. With that thought firmly in mind, she slipped into Tsunade's office to swiftly drop off the folders in her hand while the Hokage was still at the Mission Assignment Desk. In retrospect, she knew she should have at least kept enough wits about her to have sensed the fact that the Hokage's office wasn't empty.

But she wasn't thinking about her mistake after she'd gasped out an apology. A coil of overwhelming horrified fury was screeching in her ears, muddling everything with confusion as she gaped at Kakashi. He looked like he'd just walked away from a war. WHY THE FUCK WASN'T HE IN THE HOSPITAL?! He looked like a ghost as he turned his gaze toward her to say something she wasn't listening to, and she clutched the folders tight as a malignant undefinable fear snaked its way through her chest. As irrational as it was, her mind halted and literally questioned whether or not the man was still alive.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked, her voice sounding distant in her own ears. Why was Kakashi smiling like he was about to die, and he was fucking okay with that!

"Sakura, we'll explain later," Shizune said a touch nervously.

...'explain later'?!...

Sakura's ears roared with a white-hot rage, just daring the world at large to ATTEMPT to explain why it looked like she'd walked in on a private lynching of her god damned sensei! Oh, yeah, buddy. It was fucking ON! Every inch of her bristled and screamed at Tsunade's words, aghast and beyond furious at the vile attack on Kakashi and the fact that the idiot was just standing there taking it! Her mind flashed to a time not many years ago when Kakashi had been labeled as a rogue nin, sent off to die in order to save the village. It felt too similar, and she instinctively grabbed him to pull him behind her where she could guard him. Oh, god, he was so weak she had to hold him upright, why was Tsunade doing this?! There was no way in hell she was going to stand by and let the same thing happen again!

But suddenly the world started crumbling around her because Tsunade was saying '...this situation involves a former student of yours.' And it was getting hard to think with the denial howling in her head, but she could feel her muscles going slack from shock because she was hearing 'That being said, I will take into account that you are both of legal consenting age, and have not technically been classified as 'sensei' and 'student' for quite some time.' There was no way. There was just no way! There had been no sign that...

Sakura's breath caught in her throat, and her eyes felt as wide as saucers. She could remember it with painful clarity, and it was like the room drifted into a hazy state of nonexistence as she recalled her own words to Naruto while he was in the hospital earlier that year. 'I asked him if he wanted to see you, but he said he'd wait till you were out of the hospital...I think he's still upset with you for getting yourself hurt.' And somewhere in the back of her mind she knew Kakashi had been running away, but she hadn't thought about what he was running from.

She could feel cool gentle fingers prying her hand loose from the grip she had on the front of Kakashi's shirt, and all she could hear was her own voice asking Naruto if he remembered what had happened to him. All she could see were his eyes going wide and unfocused in a wild frenzied panic that just ripped her heart out of her chest. He had gasped and choked and pulled his lips back in terror and rage as his nails tore into his own shirt, whispering, hissing, snarling, and screaming. 'He's after Kakashi...they'll cage him and kill him...I can't let him touch Kakashi...they'll take him away from me...I won't...I WON'T LET YOU HAVE HIM, HE'S MINE!'

She had understood that it had been a nightmare for him out there, and had slapped him back to reality and held him till he stopped crying. She had never considered the idea that his words were anything more than what he might have said in the same situation with anyone else who was important to him. Naruto was Naruto, overprotective and viciously defensive of those he held closest to himself. Kakashi was one of those people, and she hadn't thought anything about it.

"...sensei...?" Sakura heard herself whisper, trying to process all of it, trying to remember when things had changed.

When had this started? Why hadn't she seen it start? It had to have been this year some time. There had been nothing odd between them at the beginning of the year, she was sure of that! When had Naruto stopped calling Kakashi 'sensei'? When had he...when had they...

"I'm sorry," Kakashi said quietly with a sad smile crinkling the corner of his eye, and Sakura felt her heart seize up as time seemed to freeze and swallow her.

Wait, why was he apologizing? Why did it feel like she was never going to see him again? Wait, just wait a minute! Why hadn't they said anything to her?! Why was this happening?! Why was... She blinked and looked around. Wait, where did he go? The familiar heat of anger shook her out of her stunned thoughts, and she spun on her heel to run for the door. WHY THE HELL WAS THAT IDIOT BURNING CHAKRA HE DIDN'T HAVE! She was going to beat the living daylights out of him for being stupid enough to add to his own injuries like that!

"Let him go!" Tsunade shouted, her tone bringing Sakura to a halt before she reached the door.

Sakura whirled around and unleashed her temper in a furious wave of chakra that rattled the windows, killing intent snapping at her skin, all sharp fangs and claws. "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO HIM!"

"He should have listened to me the first time I told him to go straight home," Tsunade replied calmly, stepping over to the window. "He doesn't have to make it very far, Naruto's only three blocks down the street. I assume that's an acceptable compromise for you?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow as she turned around and pulled a few papers from the top drawer of her desk.

"What compromise?!" Sakura spat. "He should be in the hospital, he's barely standing on his own feet!"

"Then I suggest you start putting together a home care kit for him, because the hospital is not where he's going to be spending the next several days," Tsunade said, making a few notations on the papers and signing them before handing them to Shizune. "Make sure you file these on your way to the Mission Assignment Desk. I'll be in Archives, and I don't want to be disturbed unless it's an emergency."

"Shishou!" Sakura grated, clenching her fists and trying to bite back her frustration at Tsunade's suspiciously calm demeanor.

"Tsunade-sama...I don't understand..." Shizune said, reading the papers in confusion.

"Honestly, the both of you are being impossible," Tsunade huffed with a scowl, setting one hand on her hip. "What's not to understand? They're the right forms and I signed them properly."

"But...you only docked Kakashi-san a day's wages..." Shizune said hesitantly.

"I said I'd dock his pay, I never said how much," Tsunade shrugged.

"And this?" Shizune asked, holding up the second paper and looking more baffled than ever.

"Naruto sent that request for leave while he was in Iwa," she said, flicking her fingers and walking toward the door. "Now that he's back in Konoha he can start his four week vacation today."

"Shishou, how long have you known?" Sakura asked quietly, unable to hold onto her anger with all the astonishment crowding her head.

"Onigawara," Tsunade called, opening the door and pausing at the threshold. "Oh, right, I almost forgot. Shizune, assuming Iruka doesn't die of a stroke when he finds out, send him down to Archives with tea and a tray of snacks. I want to get this investigation over with and have the results filed for public inquiry by tomorrow morning. Not that I expect to find a single thing, but I need to be thorough for posterity, so we'll probably be up all night." She paused and looked toward the windows. "Thank you for being so quick."

"Hokage-sama," Onigawara said with a bow as he floated up through the floor next to the desk.

"Tell these two what you told me the day that ridiculous family showed up demanding Naruto's hand in marriage," Tsunade smirked, then stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Sakura stared at the door for a long moment, then looked at Shizune before settling her gaze on Onigawara's painted mask as he began to speak.

"The first incident occurred when Kakashi-senpai's chakra system was still unstable from the effects of his poisoning, while I was assigned to guard him at night..."

[ Friends don't always do the right thing, and sometimes they make you angry enough to spit nails, but they mean well. Sometimes it takes a friend to kick you in the ass to get you on the right track. Other times they're the ones to catch you before you fall or drag you back to your feet whether you like it or not. That's why they're there, and that's why we love them. =) ]