Acquisitions

Gaara looked up at Kakashi. A look of mild irritation crossed the usually impassive face. "No, we are not."

Kakashi sighed. "Sorry, that isn't what I meant. I know exactly where Naruto is." Gaara raised an eyebrow, silently encouraging Kakashi to explain. Kakashi continued, "Naruto is my student at the private academy I work for."

Gaara looked up. "Will it be difficult to convince him to come with you?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I am not sure...but I will have to bring Jiraiya back as well. He is Naruto's godfather. I knew he looked familiar, but I didn't remember him until I was...briefed." Thinking for a moment, Gaara nodded his assent at this assessment.

"You all will go acquire Naruto. Kakashi will lead this mission. Go get prepared." As the men turned to leave, Gaara spoke up. "Kakashi, a moment." Kakashi said nothing, just turned, awaiting Gaara's next words. "Come with me." Gaara stood, going over to a bookcase. Curious, Kakashi followed.

Opening the bookcase revealed a secret staircase. Gaara went down the twisting spiral, Kakashi following him. The stairwell opened to a medical area. Gaara turned around. "Kakashi, I don't expect this to be easy or quick. The Akatsuki are always a force to be reckoned with, and never dealt with swiftly." Kakashi nodded, thinking back on Obito. Taking Kakashi to a medical chair that looked much like a dentist's, he ushered for Kakashi to sit down.

As Kakashi sat down, Gaara motioned for a medic to come over. The medic did, with a jar in his hand. Gaara looked at Kakashi. "I know your sharingan burnt out from use previously. However Konkuro was able to retrieve one of Fugaku's. We would like to replace your eye with his so you could use the sharingan again."

Kakashi didn't hesitate, nodding in assent as he removed his hitai-ate and mask. As the medic prepared for the procedure, Kakashi steeled himself. This would be done quickly, and without anaesthesia, so it would hurt like a bitch. As the medic made the incision and switched the eyes, Kakashi grunted in pain, gripping the chair until his knuckles were white.

\/\/\/

Kakashi walked out afterwards, heading back to the group. Guy caught up to Kakashi. "Your Sorumeito?" Guy asked, exceptionally quiet for Guy, so it came out as a hoarse whisper. Kakashi stopped and sighed. His head was splitting from the procedure he had just endured, even with the medic's care.

"What about him?" Kakashi asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"He is who we are going to retrieve?" Guy asked.

"Yes, Guy. He is who we are going to retrieve." Kakashi let out a labored sigh. Pulling out his fingerless gloves with the metal plate on each, he put them on. "We should get going before the Akatsuki find him."

"My Eternal Rival...I...I am sorry. I should not have judged you." Guy's eyes were troubled.

Kakashi didn't have time for this, but he appreciated the gesture. "You have every right to feel as you do, just as I do. But I do appreciate the apology." Clapping Guy on the shoulder, Guy looked relieved, but still slightly troubled. Shrugging it off, Kakashi took Guy out to Inoichi and Shikaku. "I'll explain on the way. Let's go." As the squad moved from tree to tree, Kakashi recounted what he knew of Naruto, his history, his godfather, and where he would likely be. The other three took what was said in. Guy also noted what Kakashi didn't say, but he didn't interject.

\/\/\/

Naruto lay down, exhausted. After his confession to Jiraiya, he waited for the explosion that never came. Jiraiya, very calmly (too calmly in Naruto's mind) responded that when Kakashi came back, Jiraiya, Naruto, and Kakashi would sit down to discuss this whole situation. Jiraiya then went about the day, taking Naruto out to dinner and a movie, and giving him his gift. Naruto thought the gift, which consisted of a week in the Alps, very thoughtful seeing as how Naruto wanted to learn to ski. After that, Sasuke had come over, with Oro (Naruto had relented and quit calling him Oreo on the condition he could call him Oro) and they gave him their gift...a gift card to Pho's Ramen Shop. Yawning as he thought back on his day, Naruto fell into a fitful sleep.

Suddenly, his mouth was covered as a weight laid on his body and a voice hissed, "Shut the fuck up kid, and you won't be killed." The smell of wood? filled his nostrils. Naruto's eyes flew open as he felt hard, sharp metal at his throat. Stiffening, his mind was blank with fear.

"I don't think so, Sasori." came a familiar voice.

Suddenly, the weight was lifted from his body as a crash came from the dresser. Naruto sat up quickly, flipping on his bedside light. There he saw a sight that threw his mind into confusion. A man was there, with reddish hair and hazel eyes. He was looking at ... Kakashi? Yes, Kakashi was dressed differently, but that was definitely Kakashi. Kakashi had what looked like lightning around his hand, his mask down and hitai-ate up enough for Naruto to see that his damaged eye was red? Another male was there with dark hair pulled back into a spiky ponytail, two scars running along the right side of his face, his hands clasped together in a weird formation. The dark haired male said, "Thanks kid." as he uttered some words. As the red haired male started to move his hands, he froze as what looked like living shadows grew from the brunette's hands and wrapped around the redhead.

"We don't have time for this." Kakashi said as he lanced the red head with his lighting hand where the ginger's heart was and the man collapsed. Kakashi's hand instantly dimmed as the lightning subsided; Kakashi ran over to Naruto, closing his eye and pulling his hitai-ate down over it just as a loud crash came from another room. "Go help the others protect Jiraiya. I'll take the target to our meeting spot. Bring Jiraiya there at the appointed time." Nodding, the brunette left.

Naruto was shaking. He just watched the man he loved, whom he wasn't sure if he'd see again, kill another man. Kakashi came over, wrapping Naruto in his arms. "Shh, we've got to go. I'll explain later." Picking up Naruto, he put him on his back. "Hold on." Naruto managed to wrap his arms around Kakashi's neck as Kakashi grabbed Naruto's legs around his waist and exited out of the window, Naruto's eyes closing and his stomach lurching. Feeling the wind whip by him, Naruto kept his eyes closed, his face in Kakashi's back, and just...breathed.

\/\/\/

What seemed like several hours, but in actuality was just about twenty minutes, later, Kakashi stopped in an abandoned cave. Taking Naruto off his back, he sat the stunned blonde against the cave wall as he started a small fire back far enough in the cave to not be noticed. After that was started, Kakashi sat down, near Naruto but not touching him. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I know you don't want to see me, but I promise, the others will bring Jiraiya here."

Naruto, still in shock, was not able to speak. Kakashi took that as a sign of rejection, and looked down. "Naruto, no one is going to hurt you." Kakashi's voice was soft as he tried to explain. "You ... know something. You probably don't know you know it. But you do. You learned it the night Fugaku beat you into a coma. The Akatsuki...an organization of rogue shinobi...want what's in your head. Gaara of the Sand needs to get that information out of your head so you will be safe. I won't let you get hurt." Getting up, he laid out bedrolls. "They won't be here until tomorrow morning, to throw off any Akatsuki trail, so we will rest." The silver haired nin put a bedroll near the fire. "Here, this is yours." He then put his farther away, and closer to the entrance. "I'll keep watch."

\/\/\/

Naruto could hear what Kakashi was saying, but he just couldn't wrap his brain around it, with all that was happening. His body hurt, his mind was foggy, and he was just...numb. Crawling over to the bedroll, he laid down near the fire. As the flames crackled, Naruto stared into the fire, not really seeing anything, just letting the warmth wash over his body.

After laying there for awhile, things started to sink in. He was wanted. For something Sasuke's dad thought he had. And Kakashi was back...alive...but different. But alive. Kakashi was alive! That thought propelled him into action. Sitting up, he went over to Kakashi. There were two dogs sitting there, one on each side of the silverette. One was a small pug with brown fur, snout and ears wearing a blue vest with a seal and a hitai-ate worn on top of his head. He had wrappings on his right front leg. The other was a black bulldog, with black fur and a spiked collar. He also was wearing a blue vest with a seal and a hitai-ate; this headband was on his left front leg. Kakashi seemed to be talking to them.

"Uh...Kakashi?" Naruto asked quietly. Both dogs gave him baleful looks as Kakashi looked up then stood, turning around.

"Yes, Naruto, what is it?" Kakashi asked, succeeding in keeping the pain out of his voice.

"C...can we...I mean, we need to talk." He looked at Kakashi.

Kakashi let out a heavy sigh, but nodded. "Pakkun, Bull, could you both go keep watch? No one comes in but Inoichi, Guy, Shikaku, or Jiraiya." The dogs nodded and headed to the front of the cave.

Kakashi looked to Naruto. "Okay, we can talk now." Moving his mat a bit closer to the fire, Kakashi sat down, staring into the flames. He was waiting for more of Naruto's anger. He was waiting for Naruto to tell him he hated him more now for killing a man in front of him and abducting him from his godfather's house. What he wasn't waiting for was for the blonde to throw himself around Kakashi, arms around the older male's neck, squeezing him in a death hold.

"I'm sorry, I'm so...fucking so...sorry!" Naruto exclaimed, hugging Kakashi tight. Kakashi fell backwards in shock due to the weight of the teen as they collided. Looking up at Naruto's blue eyes, he was confused.

"What?" is all he could ask.

Naruto's eyes were glassy. "I'm sorry I said I hated your fucking guts. I didn't mean it. I love you. I was just...I was mad, and scared that you weren't going to come back. I was hoping if I made you choose, you would choose, and choose me. But...then you were gone, and I couldn't get a hold of you, and I thought you might quit loving me and die thinking I hated you and I don't." Naruto pulled down Kakashi's mask and kissed him gently. "I love you. So much."

Kakashi's eye opened wide, and he smiled, lighting up his face. "Naruto, I love you. I couldn't stop loving you if I tried and trust me, I have." Grinning, Naruto just hugged him, holding him tightly. Suddenly, Kakashi chuckled.

Naruto pulled back, looking at Kakashi's face. "What's so funny?"

Kakashi smirked. "I still have two minutes, so...happy birthday."