A/N: As always anything you recognize, I don't own…unfortunately. I only borrow them for my own amusement. Naruto and everything about it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. Kayha and Katara are property of a friend who wishes to remain unnamed.

Without any further ado; enjoy chapter 16!

HOMECOMING

It had been a week since they had celebrated Gaara's birthday in the Sand Village and now they found themselves headed back to the Leaf. Kayha had joined them on their journey so that Kakashi could attempt to reseal her curse mark and it would be easier to get Jiraiya there if his attempt failed. Reyna found herself becoming more and more irritated and protective of her team as they headed away from the village and into the desert. The first day out wasn't as bad as they had thought it would be between the two as long as Kayha kept a bit of distance between her and the Leaf Ninja. Of course, Naruto had no idea that there was anything wrong and stayed close to Kayha.

Reyna glared as they continued on their journey and by half way through the second day of traveling found that she was growling under her breath any time Kayha approached a member of her team. Even when she was around Naruto, Reyna was uneasy though she tended to be able to keep her feelings to herself a little easier in that situation since it was usually Naruto who started talking to Kayha. That night however, Kayha approached Kakashi.

"Kakashi? Can you tell me anything more about how you plan on resealing this?" she asked, standing close to him.

"Not really. Sealing isn't really my specialty, but if my sealing doesn't work, we'll call in Jiraiya. He's a master at sealing jutsus…" Kakashi started but the sound of a low growl stopped him and they both looked over to see Reyna stalking towards them.

Kakashi's eye widened and he shook his head at Reyna as she spoke, "I would suggest getting some sleep, Kayha."

Reyna's voice was more of a growl than anything else and the look in her eye told Kayha louder than any words that if she got any closer to Kakashi she would regret it, "Look, Reyna, I was just asking about…"

"I. Don't. Care," Reyna snarled, stepping into the space between Kayha and Kakashi, putting her so close to him that she could feel his vest against her shoulders.

Kayha raised her eyebrows at the wolf as Kakashi sighed, "Then why do you care who I talk to?"

"Stay away from my pack…" Reyna snarled even as Kakashi laid a hand on her shoulder causing her to glance back at him.

"Kayha, why don't you try to get some sleep? We'll head out early in the morning," Kakashi suggested, attempting to get things back under control; it was going to be a long trip the next day as it was the way Reyna was behaving.

Kayha glared at Reyna one more time before she stepped away and headed back over to the fire and her bedroll. Reyna remained tense and on edge, not stepping away from Kakashi even though she now had the room to do so. Finally Kakashi turned her around to face him, his grey eye meeting her amber gaze.

"Reyna, what is wrong with you?" he asked.

"Nothing," she snapped back, trying to keep her voice low so as not to draw the attention of Naruto and Sakura.

"If I didn't know you any better I would have sworn you were trying to start a fight with Kayha just now. That's not like you," Kakashi was keeping his voice even as he spoke.

"Then maybe she should stay the hell away from my teammates."

"Alright, I've heard the growls and whatnot when she's around Naruto and Sakura, but the first time she gets within ten feet of me you act like your only job is to protect me. Why?"

"Because you're the damn alpha," she snapped, looking away from him.

He sighed, knowing that there was more to it than just that based on the fact that she couldn't hold his gaze, "Alright, Reyna. Whatever you say, but you do realize that I'm going to have to be close to her to seal that curse mark right?"

"Yes, and you can bet your ass that I'm going to be standing over your shoulder."

Kakashi sighed and shook his head, "This could be interesting."

Reyna shrugged and finally stepped away from him, returning to keeping watch for the first half of the night. She was supposed to wake Kakashi to take the second half of the night, but since she didn't feel much like sleeping anyway, she simply stayed up until sunrise and then woke him. Kakashi was not happy that she had taken watch the entire night and insisted she get a couple of hours of sleep until he had to wake the rest of the group. She lay down, but didn't sleep much before he was rousing the four of them and they were once again heading for the Leaf Village.

They reached their destination late that afternoon, but were stopped before they even made it through the main gates. The guards working the gate informed them that they were to report to the Hokage immediately upon their arrival into the village and so the group headed to the tower where they were ushered quickly into Tsunade's office.

"Nice of you four to decide to return," Tsunade started as soon as they were all standing before her desk, Shizune standing behind and off to her right.

"It's great to be home again, Grandma!" Naruto beamed.

"That wasn't a welcome speech, Naruto. What the hell were you thinking when you were there? And look at the shape you come back in! You look like you've just fought a war by yourselves!"

"Well, that's kind of my fault, Lady Hokage," Kayha spoke up from beside Naruto. "The battle that they were involved in had to do with a couple of guys that wanted me dead that decided attacking the Sand Village would be a good way to let me know that."

Tsunade looked at her coldly, "Alright, so they were helping the Sand out, were they? I did hear that the village was attacked, so I will buy that one. However, there have been a few things that have been brought to my attention," her gaze fell on Reyna and Kakashi, "What were you two thinking? It's bad enough that you let your two students get drunk during a visit to an allied village, but it's even worse that you two joined them! Do you have any idea how that makes this village look? And I wouldn't disbelieve it if I found out it was you that decided it would be a good idea to get the Kazekage drunk! You should have seen the letter he sent me!"

"Oh, speaking of that, would I be able to get a copy of it?" Kayha asked sweetly.

"No!" Tsunade barked.

Tsunade continued to rant and rave at the two Jounin, who for their part looked properly chastised about the whole ordeal. They both looked embarrassed when Tsunade pulled out pictures of the party and started in on them all over again, even when they insisted it had been Temari's idea to have the party for Gaara's birthday. When she felt she had given the Jounin enough shit for their behaviour, she turned her attention to Naruto and Sakura. Finally when she was finished with them as well she sent Sakura to work at the hospital and let the others loose from her office.

They were just about to head off towards their respective apartments, or more accurately Naruto was going to show Kayha around and Kakashi was going to move some of Reyna's things to his apartment since he was still upset about her taking off to face Griffin when they met Iruka on the street heading home from his teaching duties at the academy.

"Naruto! Reyna, you guys are finally back are you?" Iruka asked.

"You bet, Iruka-Sensei!" Naruto replied.

"Yeah, we are. How are classes going so far?" Reyna asked, not noticing how Kakashi shifted a little closer to her.

"Well, at least my students aren't running around an allied village buck naked," Iruka snapped.

"What? Who did that and where?" Naruto asked, confused.

"You did, you knucklehead! And there are pictures of it up on Ninja book!" Iruka hollered at the blonde.

"Really?" he asked, still confused, "You'd think I'd remember something like that."

Kakashi shook his head, "Unfortunately I do remember that."

"And you, why did you have a hand towel wrapped around your face?" Iruka asked Kakashi.

Reyna smirked and shrugged, "That would have been my fault…"

"Wait, you saw Kakashi-Sensei's face? Without a mask?" Naruto asked. "What does he look like?"

Reyna's grin grew wider and she shrugged, "Like…Kakashi…mm, mask less Kakashi." She got a distant look in her eye as she thought about that until Iruka cleared his throat.

"Please tell me someone will tell me the entire story at some point?" he asked.

"Sure…as soon as I remember anything else other than that," Reyna replied and they could see just a touch of red creeping up above Kakashi's mask.

"Right, well…we should probably head off," Kakashi stuttered.

"Hey, yeah because then I can get coffee!" Reyna grinned before starting off down the street again. "I'm sure that most of the story can be found on Ninja book, Iruka, but if you need any blanks filled in, I should be around for a while. I have a feeling Tsunade isn't going to let us go anywhere outside of the village for a while. You just have to deal with Kakashi's hovering."

"I do not hover, and if you hadn't taken off like that I wouldn't have to stay close to you," he retorted, pulling his book from his pocket.

Reyna rolled her eyes and waved over her shoulder at the three of them still standing in the street and caught Naruto's comment to Iruka, "They've been fighting like an old married couple since Kakashi got out of the hospital with the fight with Seiko."

"Why do you feel the need to get coffee every thirty seconds?" Kakashi asked.

"Because if I don't get my coffee, and I haven't had any since we left the Sand, I get extremely difficult to deal with."

"And that's different from any other day, how?" he asked innocently.

Reyna growled at him, and continued walking, heading to her favourite coffee shop that had opened up a couple of doors down from Ichiraku. She tossed a smile at the girl working that afternoon and ordered her usual white mocha before turning to Kakashi.

"Do you want anything?" she asked lightly

"Why not? I'll get a large Americano," he replied, barely glancing up at the board before ordering, "But I'm not paying."

Reyna rolled her eyes and paid for their drinks which came up a couple of minutes later and they headed back into the street. Reyna sighed as she sipped her coffee, glancing over at Kakashi when he took a drink.

"This is really good," he muttered, walking down the street reading his book and sipping his coffee.

"See? I'm not crazy!" she grinned triumphantly, "And since I paid for your coffee, you should really lend me the first book of that series today."

"Huh? Oh yeah, of course. We just have to head to your apartment first."

"Why do we have to go to my place first?"

"I am not lifting my order of an escort for you and since you claim no one can keep up with you, we're moving a bunch of your stuff to my apartment so we aren't constantly running back and forth."

Reyna was about to reply when Shikamaru stepped out in front of them, "Do I even want to ask what you two are talking about?"

Reyna shook her head, "Probably not. What did you need, Shikamaru?"

"I was just wondering what was up with Temari."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.

"There was this video that Kiba showed me. Man, this is so bothersome," Shikamaru sighed.

"Oh, that video! I think I still have it on my camera!" Reyna exclaimed.

"Aren't you supposed to be a Jounin?" Shikamaru asked while Kakashi smirked under his mask.

"So what we aren't ever supposed to have fun? Let loose, shake some stress away?" Reyna asked, glaring between the two of them. "And what are you smiling about? You were there too!"

Kakashi shook his head and turned his attention back to Shikamaru, ignoring Reyna's question, "I think Temari was getting around to the point that she likes you."

"Man, what a drag…" Shikamaru sighed again before heading down the street.

A/N: Alright you know the routine; please feed my muse reviews so that I may continue! Much more chaos to come later!