Chapter seven: Pain
Children grow up quickly, they leave behind the world of make believe and step into the real world. So many are forced to do so because of something they have seen….they were no different. Kakashi thought to himself as he watched Jiraiya spar against the fourth. Because of him being asleep for thirteen years, it was going to take a lot to get back into shape. His old sensei…Kakashi thought, he wondered what the man thought of him now. Sighing he turned his head to the room where Naruto was sleeping. The boy had been up late as well as the fourth he and Jiraiya had come home into silence, and at first had worried that Naruto had run off again, but then they discovered both Yondaime and Naruto were hard at work, scrolls surrounding them. Naruto had almost been asleep but he had still worked hard. And Yondaime had been dead serious even when Jiraiya had suggested the idea of food, it had taken Naruto admitting he was hungry to even pull the man away from his scroll. And now…now that same man was already up and training his body. He turned as he heard sleepy shuffling from the room and at last Naruto emerged.
"Morning." Kakashi said in his normal manner. The boy grunted and sat down beside him squinting still half asleep at the two men.
"Nani?" he said yawning hugely. Kakashi chuckled.
"Jiraiya told Yondaime he got soft." Kakashi said, Naruto yawned again, and tried to follow the fight with his eyes.
"They're really fast." He said. Kakashi nodded. Sighing Naruto leaned against the house.
"How much longer am I going to have to sit around….I was better off training alone." He said though the last was added quietly. Kakashi turned and looked at Naruto, he was moody.
"Your body still needs to time to heal." He told the boy who groaned.
"But…" he said then stopped when Kakashi merely glanced at him. The boy seemed as impatient as always.
"What did Yondaime have you study so much last night?" he asked. Again Naruto groaned.
"Some stupid jutsu he said would be useful. Though…" Naruto groaned and rubbed the back of his head. Kakashi smirked.
"If he thinks it will be useful then it must be." Kakashi said, Naruto rolled his eyes.
"He'd say a snail on the ground was useful if he thought it'd distract me…" the genin grumbled. Kakashi tilted his head to the side.
"Oh?" he said. Naruto nodded glaring at the image of the hokage as he hit Jiraiya sending the sannin landing hard onto the ground.
"Yeah…he seems to think I need to be distracted." Naruto said yawning. Kakashi watched the boy, he had to agree with his former teacher, distraction was something the boy needed. If he was allowed to much time to think on his own then he would become impatient again and try to take off, granted Yondaime would have no problem bringing him back, it meant that they had to worry all the time if the boy would take off and no one would be around to notice. He watched as Naruto's shoulders started to slump, he had already been warned on the signs from Yondaime, the signs of when the boy began to think to much.
"Why don't you and I go for some supplies." Kakashi said on impulse. Naruto turned to stare at Kakashi.
"But you and Jiraiya just went for supplies last night!" the boy said. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head looking sheepish.
"Well there's an item we both forgot, you see your not the only one who loves ramen, Yondaime does as well. And we don't have any." Kakashi said. The boy didn't move for a moment but a second later with a 'I'll go get my shoes!' the boy took off back into his room.
"Jiraiya, Yondaime!" Kakashi called out, and both men stopped to face him.
"What is it?" Jiraiya called out while Yondaime walked over to him.
"Is something wrong with Naruto?" the hokage asked.
"No, I'm taking him into the town…" Kakashi said looking directly into the man's eyes. Yondaime nodded.
"Alright." He said and gave Jiraiya back his attention as Naruto came running over to Kakashi.
"I'm ready." The boy announced. Kakashi didn't sigh, Naruto wore black again, a simple black t-shirt, with black pants. In fact he now wore the black sandels that Jiraiya had brought home for him last night. He also, wasn't wearing his head protector…that worried Kakashi, he had seen the boy charge an enemy not caring if he was hurt, just to get it back. Keeping these thoughts to himself he met Yondaime's eyes reading what his former teacher meant by the look.
"Alright let's get going." He said and Naruto followed him close behind. If he didn't know any better, he'd have said the mention of ramen had cured the thought of sadness in the boy's heart. But Naruto's eyes were still shadowed and while he wore a smile looking around at his surroundings, the boy's refusal to wear his second most valued position was enough to prove mentally the boy was hurt severely. The only good thing was Naruto still wore the necklace he had won from the fifth in a bet that had almost cost him his life. He wore outside of his shirt, like a proud token. Naruto turned and met his sensei's gaze.
"What?" he demanded. Kakashi shrugged.
"Nothing." He said hiding a smile as the boy glared at him
"Then why were you staring at me like that!" he shouted. Kakashi continued to walk ahead ignoring the boy's yell. Growling Naruto slowed down a little…the smile left his face slowly, and his mood turned. He was wasting time again…he thought and felt a hand ruffle his hair, he looked up to see Kakashi standing in front of him.
"Huh?" Naruto said but Kakashi only stared at him with his one eye visible.
"Come on." He said and pulled Naruto so that the boy was walking beside him again. Naruto blinked trying to go back to where his thoughts were stopped but every time he did Kakashi somehow distracted him as they walked. Once Kakashi claimed he had seen Jiraiya trying to sneak up on them, but it turned out to be a squirrel. By the time they reached the village Naruto had forgotten completely and was staring everywhere at once.
"This place is almost as big as where Ero-Sensei and I found Granny Tsunade!" he exclaimed. Kakashi chuckled as he followed the boy.
"Remember we have to come back with ramen or else Yondaime will kill us in our sleep." Kakashi said and Naruto spun around to grin at him.
"Hai!" he said. Kakashi shook his head, Naruto was always a wonder to him able to spring back from bouts of depression, though…Kakashi let the thought go as he walked over to a stand where Naruto seemed to be particular fascinated by something. To his surprise he saw the boy staring at a jade drop earring, filled in with silver was the Konoha symbol. Kakashi put his hand on the boy's head.
"You don't even have your ear pierced." He commented and the boy jumped a little guiltily and turned to leave.
"Come on let's go pick up some ramen!" the boy stated, Kakashi glanced back down at the earring and sighed looking up at the shop keeper who chuckled.
"Nephew of yours?" the shop keeper said chuckling more.
"Naruto wait a moment!" Kakashi called out and the boy stopped to look at another one of the shops nearby. Then Kakashi turned back to the shop keeper.
"In a manner of speaking yes he is. And…" Kakashi said but the shop keeper was already picking up the earring and putting it in a box. The man chuckled again.
"Here you go." He said handing Kakashi before the ninja could hand him any money.
"That boy seems like he could use a little bit of happiness, no charge, have a nephew myself at the same age as him, he ran off to become a chuunin. Came back not passing the test, he's happy now working at the inn with this pretty girl but…you know how kids are." The man said pushing the box in Kakashi's hand shooing him away. Kakashi bowed and thanked the man quietly slipping the box into a pocket. He'd save it for later.
"Naruto!" Kakashi called out and the boy came running.
"Yea?" he said.
"Let's go get that ramen then head back before they send out a search party to find out what happen to us." Kakashi said his voice had humor in it. Naruto nodded.
"Yeah specially the…Yondaime…" Naruto said catching himself from saying Hokage. Kakashi nodded and the two quickly picked up the supplies. They walked back in silence, finally Kakashi halted a little ways away from the house.
"Naruto wait a moment." He said setting down the bags he carried. Naruto paused setting down the one bag he was able to carry with his left arm. He still couldn't do much with his right arm. He watched as Kakashi pulled out a box and held it out to him. Taking it Naruto opened it and stared down at the earring.
"Kakashi-sensei…" he began but Kakashi cut him off.
"It seemed to me, at least you want to wear something of our village seeing as you aren't wearing your head protector." Kakashi said causing Naruto to turn bright red.
"It's...that…I…" Naruto began but Kakashi walked over placing a hand a on Naruto's shoulder.
"It's alright I understand." Kakashi said as Naruto stared down at the earring. He raised his eyes to Kakashi who nodded…
Yondaime paced because he was worried…he shouldn't be worried, after all he had just met the kid. He glanced over at Jiraiya who was at work on his latest book. His eye twitched in regards to that, he turned and began to start pacing yet again.
"Yo." He heard from ahead. He turned to see Kakashi walking up Naruto beside him, the boy was smiling, but there was something different about him. It took the hokage three more seconds to realize that hanging from Naruto's left ear was a green earring and as the boy got closer he could also see the symbol engraved in it. He smiled as Kakashi dumped his bags at his feet.
"There." The man said taking out his book and glancing over at Naruto who grinned at him.
"What's in the bags?" The hokage demanded, and Naruto grinned even more.
"Supplies….namely ramen!" the boy said. Yondaime found his mouth watering and he picked up the bags and turned to walk where the kitchen was.
"Why didn't you say that, come on boy let's make some supper!" the hokage said his voice filled with glee. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head as his former teacher and his student rushed to make the ramen.
"Knowing them that's all they will eat." He commented knowing that Jiraiya had been paying attention. The frog sannin nodded.
"Good thing we don't leave the two of them alone they'd live off ramen." He said standing up and walking over to Kakashi.
"The earring?" he asked.
"Naruto was eyeing it, and the shop keeper had a nephew a lot like Naruto is. So it was a gift." Kakashi said. Jiraiya sighed.
"You noticed that he wasn't wearing it too? Come to think of it you are probably the first one to have noticed." Jiraiya said frowning. Kakashi nodded. He smiled as he heard shouts start from the kitchen as two ramen lovers argued on the best way to make it…
A/N: Yes another update! I got inspired so lol, here you go, review please! and thanx for the reviews so far!