AN: YOSH! Welcome back! Happy New Year and the like and to start….. Ive heard that tehre's profiles deleted on here sometimes… Now, I don't know ths to be true… but should I disappear one day look for me on live journal… there I will update my stories should anything mess up here… but not until then! SO…. Enjoy… more updates soon kiddoes!
"Tell me I'm imagining this." He hissed to himself more than to anyone else. He flet like a character in a novel written by a crazed man. Fighting with himself, his surroundings… getting into mud with a high bred young man and… almost being killed by an overgrown housecat… fuck to the no.
Yet there the silver haired man was, standing now at the foot of his bed, looking righteously worried and the damned beast was sitting right beside him. Looking at Naruto with a cocked head and a almost thoughtful expression.
"Im either dead or hallucinating" he concluded out loud. "Please let me be hallucinating."
The silver haired man bowed low before him. Not that Naruto cared enough to acknowledge him, preferring to keep one eye on the cat who was still studying him. Staring back unblinkingly.
"My name is Kakashi Hakate." The man began, looking to Naruto now for a sign of recognition. There was none to be seen on Naruto however. He had never seen the man before although he had to admit that he had heard about him form people in town. He thought so at least, now not being sure if up was down, he decided to keep whatever he clued into to himself. He didn't feel like talking and so, waited to hear what the man had to say.
Sasuke was sting stiffly beside him still. And this infuriated him further. The insufferable fool was self righteous to the extremes. Naruto decided that this self-professed watch was something the raven did to feel better over the wounds he suffered.
What he hated most was pity, and self-pity he loathed beyond anything else. He grit his teeth then, and decided to ignore the Uchiha throughtly.
"I am an acquaintance with your Father or rather…was." Kakashi continued. That had Narutos attention at once. He studied the man, wondering what he really meant by that.
"you did…?" he asked slowly, trying to feel out what the man knew and what he didn't. He was intent on keeping this secret and Sauske was not someone he wanted knowing anything on the matter. He himself wanted nothing to do with. He stared at Kakashi coldly, trying to pass on a silent message and it looked like he succeeded because the man caught himself at once, coughing into his fist and apologizing deeply once again for the damage.
"I am a merchant." He continued, "and was gone for a while to India on a routine checkup. I left Inana in the care of my staff. I had brought her with me from India, she was a gift from the local landlord for me helping out with a Hyena problem he had. Anyway, upon my arrival, I was forced to return back. Seemed like a fire had destroyed one of my main ships and I was forced to inspect the damage. When I returned, she was nowhere to be found."
"Until yesterday…" Naruto added in.
"Until five days ago…" Sasuke cut in quietly.
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. Had he really been out cold for that long? Was the damage he received really that bad? He tried to raise his arms to inspect for himself but didn't find the strength to do so. Cursing he looked down his length and inspected. He was almost completely bandaged. His chest, his arms, hell, even his left leg he could feel the bandage on. The pain was moderate but he was able to withstand.
Kakashi looked like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He bowed again. "I am most sorry to admit that this is my fault." He shook his head and frowned. "My staff was incompetent and was let go immediately and as for this…" he waved his hand in naruto's general direction. "Ill be honest, Inana did more damage than I thought possible. Most of your ribs were cracked, two broken although blessedly no lung was punctured. Scratches and punctures on ytour arms caused the extensive bleeding and she managed to get at your leg as well… according to the doctor though, you should recover completely and soon." He broke off then, not knowing what to say next. "I can only say how sorry I am and that I will forever try to fix this."
"There will be no need for that once Im healed." Naruto sighed. He was already thinking over the situation he was in. Having Kakashi willing to send a few favors his way might come in handy. "I am wondering however, about your profession… you said you are a merchant… what guild would you belong to?
Kakashi perked up considerably and sat down on the opposite side of Sasuke, who was frowning slightly at Naruto. He promptly ignored him and turned his attention back to Kakashi; who began to explain about his trade.
"My usual routes go into India, although my people often trade with illegal chineese for silk. Its profitable as hell and India is wonderful to live in. One lives like a King there… never lacking anything really, the people aren't as constrained as here, more sensual… more open… It's a shame I have to live here and only visit there." He smiled lightly. "Although Ill be visiting more often now that the ship is down… I need to find more partners to work with."
Naruto smiled to himself, his plans were forming quickly and Sasuke seemed to get the idea Naruto was following because he stood up quickly and asked Kakashi to let Naruto rest.
"He needs to recover quickly" he explained as Kakashi nodded his apologies once more and stepped out. The beast followed.
"I believe you insisted on letting me rest?" Naruto arched his eyebrow when Sasuke sat once again at his side.
He ignored the request. "What are you scheming?" he looked angry, paler than usual and his hands were fisted on his knees. He refused to look up.
"Tell me Sasuke, why do you give such a care about me?" Naruto was really curious now. "I'm going to have to disappear from your grounds soon anyways, you have your life to live and I have mine. They obviously cant coincide because we live in different worlds and its time for you to see that."
"That doesn't answer my question." Sasuke was looking ahead now, looking like he hadn't heard a word Naruto said. The man was infuriating.
"Im not scheming anything really, just thinking about my future, since I need to make a few critical corrections in it."
"Like?"
"None of your business."
"You're planning to run aren't you?"
He didn't know why that infuriated him so much. The way Sasuke put it, he was running from his life. He almost sounded accusatory.
Naruto sat up quickly, startling the raven and leaning very very close to his face he growled the words out. Even to himself, he sounded more like a growling beast. "I have nothing to run from."
He got off quickly, stretching lightly as his feet touched the ground, hissing at the pain in his chest. And looked at Sasuke once more. The raven just sat there, motionless and frigid, looking at Naruto with cold eyes.
"I pity you."
"Well that's precious of you but I don't need your fucking pity!" He walked across the room throwing the door open and slamming it shut so hard that it shook. Two maids peeked out from a side door and squeaked in fright as Naruto stormed down the hall. He supposed he looked frightful, clad in nothing but pants and badaged all over. He looked again at his arms and ripped off the bandages examining the damage. What the fuck were they fussing over? He decided he'd been in worse situations. He kept the torso bandages, deeming them less annoying.
His leg hurt like hell but he had to give the Uchiha credit for getting him moving. Half an hour before he wasn't able to lift that arm. "Im getting soft" he growled to himself as he ripped open the first door he could reach.
His shot was lucky, there was Kakashi sitting at the huge bureau. Looking over some papers. He had to give the man credit. The silverhaid didn't even flinch as Naruto threw himself into the chair opposite and glared at him.
Gone was the bowing, apologizing man from before. A shrewd, cool look greeted him now. Followed by a pleasant smile. "Anything I could do for you my Lord?"
"Don't bullshit the Lord… you've heard, as has everyone else, that I am a bastard and currently almost in exile." Naruto scoffed, looking outside.
"Its rather you who should cut the lies my Lord…" Kakashi folded the papers and spliced his hands before him. "When I told you I knew your Father I meant it… I also knew your Mother…"
The surprise on Naruto's face was clear. He knew his parents… But how much did he really know?
"Then you know I'm illegitimate and that Uchiha brat over there inherited everything?
Kakashi sighed and bent over, working at something in his desk. He came back up a moment later with a small envelope… identical to the one he had received from Minato… from his Mother.