The second that Kakashi was in the apartment he peeked out through the blinds to see if the kids were leaving like he'd asked and felt his ire rise a little bit at Neji's question. After all, who the fuck was the Hyuga to ask about what had happened a month ago? That was no one's business but his, his Kage's, Naru and Gods.

He watched the kids leave after a moment or so, each of them looking thoroughly rattled by his threat as Naru came up behind him. He dropped his hand away from the blinds knowing that the kids would be gone in a second. So there was no further need of him to watch them.

He turned around and looked at her. She had a small box of tea in her hands and asked if her friends were going to come in.

He shook his head no and told her that they would be back later, that for now she should rest then gently took the box from her and laid it down on the table a few inches from him and then reached out and hooked a hand around her nape and pulled her closer so that he could wrap his arms around her.

Naru didn't resist or speak or much of her ususal actions.

She simply let him pull her closer and wrapped her arms around his torso while he rested his chin on the top of her head and ran his fingers through her hair, noting absently that it had grown out a bit more since the incident.

He felt her hands grip the fabric of his vest, along his lower back and knew that she was dying to ask him if he was okay or something and his curved up slightly at the corners before he loosened his hold and stepped back and said, "Your friends will be back later to see you. Until then would you like me to lay down with you while you rest?"

Naru was silent a moment, her expression adorably confused. Then her mind seemed to register his words and she flushed a vivid pink and shyly nodded her head. He smiled- suddenly forgetting his earlier discomfort and ire caused by Neji's question and took her hand in his and led her to the bedroom and stood back while she fussed with the sheets and pillows.

Musing that she acted almost like a bird when it was nesting. Everything had to be just so.

And once she was done she looked at him with a nervous expression on her face as she chewed her lower lip. Kakashi walked over to the bed and slipped his shoes off then laid down and waited patiently.

Half expecting her to jump on him in a similar fashion to that childish excitment she used to display when she was a kid on a mission, however instead she slowly and almost cautiously crawled onto the bed and laid down next to him on the edge of the bed.

He supressed the urge to sigh and turned over onto his side and reached out and grabbed her and hauled her back- chuckling at her when she jumped a little bit upon coming into contact with his front. "Calm down Naru, I'm not going to do anything. I just don't want you sleeping on the edge of the bed. You might fall off and hurt yourself."

Naru didn't say anything, she just turned her head slightly to look at him over her shoulder. Her silken blond hair slipping back from her face a little bit so that he could see her eye before she turned her head back and bent her legs at the knee so that she was almost in a fetal position and wiggled around for a second, her bottom rubbing up against him in a way that almost made him jerk back before she settled down and finally closed her eyes.

He sighed and buried his face against the the part of her nape that was exposed and felt a small tremor run down her spine as he tightened his hold on her a little bit and closed his eyes and tried to relax enough to go to sleep.

It took some time, and some doing on his part since Naru was a little wiggler and he often found her wiggling herself against him in an effort to get more comfortable, but finally after what seemed like forever to him, he was able to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

(*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************)

"Neji are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I can't believe Kakashi-sensei would attack a comrade like that! Just what the hell is wrong with us asking questions about a month ago? Naru is our friend isn't she?" Kiba growled.

"Of course she is." Tenten said in a subdued tone as she trailed along behind the others.

"All of you be quiet." Neji snapped. He needed to think about some things. One of which was why Kakashi was sticking so close to Naru. Sure she was his former student but it still didn't make any sense. Hell, nothing had made sense since Tsunade had gotten them to go and retrieve Kakashi and Naru. They hadn't been given any details aside from being told, 'Go get them and bring them back'. Then knew absolutely nothing about why Tsunade had sent them.

It was vexing to say the least. I mean who wouldn't be vexed to know that there was a huge secret of some kind- involving one of thier own- and they could see the changes being made, yet didn't know why.

Tsunade, Kakashi, hell even Shikamaru and Sakura and Sai knew something that they themselves didn't. And it was about time to find out what.