The rookie nine, Kakashi, Sai, Tenzou, Iruka and Ebisu all stood in the middle of the copy nin's small living room as Sakura examined Naru.
"Is she okay Sakura?" Sai asked as he peeked over the pinkettes shoulder. Sakura sighed and leaned back and blinked when someone held out a blanket that Kakashi recognised as Naru's favorite blanket. The one with the mint green cover with emerald green vines on it, and looked up at Neji's dirty face.
"I managed to save this from her apartment when I went in to make sure that she wasn't there." Neji said as he reached up with his free hand and wiped at someone the soot on his face. It had been stupid of him to grab something so silly when he hadn't found her, but he had been struck with the irrational fear that he may never see her again and had simply grabbed it because he wanted something of hers to remember her by if she was gone forever. And with the flames spreading so quickly, it had just seemed like the right thing to do.
It was big enough to cut into pieces and give to the rest of her friends so that everyone had something. Sakura took the blanket and gave him a small smile. "Thanks Neji. I know that she'd appreciate this."
Neji nodded his head as she took it from him and covered her adoptive sister with it. Sai reached out and poked Sakura in the ribs and she jerked and turned her head to glare at him, it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to back off before she knocked his teeth out, but stopped when she saw the anxious expression on Sai's face. Her expression instantly softened and she said loudly enough for everyone to hear her.
"She's fine. She's just in shock and the situation with Sauske has put too much stress on her mind and body. She'll need to sleep for a while then she'll wake up and kick Sauske's ass."
"Not before I do-" Kakashi, Tenzou and Iruka all growled at once.
"Fighting amongst ourselves won't solve anything. We need to do something about Sauske." Shikamaru said as Ino dropped down to her knees on the floor next to Naru and Sakura and pulled the blanket up around the blond's shoulders and tucked it in around her.
"I could geld him." Sakura offered cheerfully. Kakashi shook his head.
"No. I've already come up with a plan to take down Sauske and keep Naru far from his grasp. I just need to run my idea by Tsunade."
"Well, how about you run your brilliant idea by us instead." Iruka said in his school room I-am-the-teacher-and-I-will-smite-you tone of voice. Kakashi got a thoughtful look on his face as he debated on whether to tell them his plan or not. In the end he figured that having them to back him in this particular decision might help things along. They might even be able to name a good canadate for Naru's future husband or whatever.
"Have only two ideas that would work. One is having Naru move in with me-"
"Why you?" Ebisu asked curiously.
Kakashi blinked at his question unsure of how to answer him. He had just figured that Naru would be safer with him than anyone else considering his reputation as a cold blooded killer. Then again knowing his reputation as a womanizer like many shinobi and civilians did, his reputation might add more fuel to the fire and ruin Naru's reputation as a good girl.
Dammit! Why hadn't he thought of that earlier? Was he really that stupid that he hadn't considered that at all?
Maybe you were too distracted by your fear to worry about such trivial details. An unfamiliar voice whispered through his mind. He shook his head and pushed it aside. He didn't have time to lose his mind and start hearing funny voices.
Naru was in trouble and he couldn't let her down. She needed him dammit!
"Because of my rep as a former Anbu. I figured that even Sauske would be a little put out if he knew that I was protecting her personally." Kakashi quickly explained his radical leap in logic. Oddly enough it sounded like a perfectly well thought out plan. And the others seemed very understanding about it.
"And what was the second idea?" Iruka asked curiously as he crossed his arms over his chest. Kakashi balked a little bit, knowing that the second idea would be very upsetting and worrying to the kids and the others.
They all cared about Naru and wanted her to be happy. They just expected her to be happy in the village, with some fella that they could bully and frighten into treating her well. Sadly though, Kakashi knew that Naru wouldn't do well with a guy that didn't have a back bone and the balls to put his foot down. Not only that but she needed someone who wouldn't try to break her spirit or curb her temper.
She needed someone who would have no problems meeting her half way, every way."The second idea I had was to have Tsunade arrange a marriage for her. Hopefully with someone who would take care of her and be good for the village since she's going to be our Hokage soon."
Iruka, Sai, Sakura and several others looked as if they were going to explode. "You want to marry her off to some poor schmuck without even the benefit of love or a proper courtship!" Sakura shrieked at him, her expression outraged.
Iruka looked positively murderous. Sai and Tenzou looked the same.
They didn't like this idea one little bit. "Look-" Kakashi said in a harsher tone than he intended. This was an idea that could possibly save Naru a lot of grief and maybe even her life in the long run. So really who the hell were they to judge him for thinking of it first?
"Sauske is out for Naru's blood. But more than that he's fixating on her in a sick and dangerous way. A normal marriage won't put him off. He'll just think that she's stringing the guy along and that she deserves everything that he will inevitably do to her-"
"That's why I thought that maybe, with Tsunade's help we could help find Naru someone that won't just use her body or her talents as a shinobi. The last thing she needs is to be placed in the hands of a viper just like Sauske. Tsunade is probably more aware of what's been happening than any of us except Naru are aware. And if that is the case then we need to help her find someone who won't hesitate to kill that damn boy if he so much as tries to lay his filthy hands on her. Naru needs a familiar person, someone strong who will dedicate themselves wholly to her and keep her from harm. She needs one of us. She can trust us. She cares about us. So one of us marrying her is the only logical answer."
They all gaped at him in shock before Shika threw his hands in the air and took several steps back while shaking his head. "Not me. Naru is one of my best friends and I do care for her but I am not marrying her. She's too strong willed and any children we have will be a total nightmare."
Kiba took several steps back and grabbed Hinata as he went. "Sorry. Under normal circumstances I'd be right with you, but me and Hina have been dating for a while now and I simply wouldn't do something like that to Hinata."
"I would-" Shino said and everyone looked at him funny before he said very softly. "If I wasn't already engaged to be married."
"Same here. My uncle arranged a marriage for me last year. I've met the girl a few times and she's really nice, so maybe it won't be so bad."
Lee pointed to Sakura and the pinkette blushed prettily. And despite the severity of the situation Kakashi, Tenzou and Iruka smiled at the two. They were such a cute couple. All eyes turned to Sai and Choji.
Choji blushed and shyly reached out and grasped Ino's hand in his.
Leaving just Sai who looked thoughtful before saying. "I wouldn't mind. But I know next to nothing about making someone like Naru happy." That and he was pretty sure that she would kill him with in a day after their vows.
Tenzou, Iruka, And Kakashi sighed and Ebisu cleared his throat to get their attention. "After careful thought and consideration the only real guys to consider are Tenzou-san and Kakashi-san."
Iruka got a funny look on his face, a mixture of surprise, relief, and...disappointment maybe? "Iruka-san, please don't be offended by my words. You are more of a family member to her and because of this her feelings for you would never be anything but love for a sibling-" Ebisu said gently as he caught the expressions flitting across Iruka's face. Iruka shook his head. He wasn't offended. He understood what Ebisu had meant. He was just worried.
He knew next to nothing about Tenzou-san. And even less about Kakashi.
"I think that one of the two mentioned before would be a good match for Naru both mentally and physically. Both Kakashi-san and Tenzou-san are strong. Insanely so. Both are mature enough to know what will need to be done and can guide Naru in the bedroom arts so that she isn't hurt. Their personalities are laid back and relaxed and they both have very desirable qualities in a mate and future father. And to top it off they both already know Naru-sama and will not hesitate to do what must be done to protect her."
"That's all well and good-" Tenzou said with a nervous expression as he paled a little bit. Don't get him wrong, he loved Naru in his own way. Hell, he adored her. But the thought of marrying the little fire cracker scared the ever loving hell out of him. "But I can't marry Naru."
"What! Why the hell not? Do you think that your better than her or something?" Ebisu and Kakashi both growled in unison as they got up into his personal space. Tenzou gulped and quickly shook his head no.
"No! No! That isn't what I meant. What I meant is that she scares me-"
"What the hell do you mean she scares you? I've seen you screaming at her during training plenty of times." Shika said carelessly and yelped when Tenzou grabbed him by the front of his shirt and shook him until his teeth rattled in his head.
"That's different! That was during training! We're talking about marriage! And let me tell you buddy, it's not the wisest course of action to scream at your wife. Especially when there is no escape from her wrath! Sure you might get away for a little bit- But you have to go home sometime! Or she will hunt you down and skin you alive in front of witnesses!"
Everyone shook their heads. Geez who knew that Tenzou had such a deeply rooted fear of women?
"That leaves you Kakashi." Iruka said as he turned his head to study the copy nin.
Kakashi looked back at him with a stunned expression on his masked face. His heart did a funny little flip flop in his chest and he swallowed convulsively. Dear god, that did leave just him, didn't it? He looked down at Naru laying on his couch, unconscious, defenseless, and so damn innocent looking for a woman her age that he couldn't stop the unfamiliar surge or protectiveness that rose up in his chest.
Could he do it?
It was a stupid question. But it was one that he kept asking himself over and over even as he fisted his hands at his sides and nodded his head, a determined expression on his masked face. "Yes. I can do it." He said quietly and everyone held their breath for a second and waited for him to make some sort of excuse not to marry Naru, but he didn't say anything more. He was too busy thinking of how easy it would be to live with her as his wife.
He especially since he was already partially in love with the girl. She was just too sweet to resist. "I'll go talk with Tsunade once Naru is awake. But I need several of you to stay with her just in case Sauske or that damn mob that Sakura mentioned earlier manages to make their way here."
"Is that really necessary considering how strong Naru is on her own?" Kiba asked.
Kakashi nodded his head. "Yes. Because Naru would refuse to fight against civilians, even if they were hurting her. You guys however-"
"Say no more Kakashi-sensei. We'll take good care of your girl." Sakura said as she smirked and cracked her knuckles menacingly.
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Okay kittens- I only have a short time left before my Internet goes out. and i won't be able to update again until Thursday.
So keep reading and I hope to have some more chapters up before i'm cut off at the knee.