Recovery: Chapter 3

Summary: He became heartbroken and wallowed in his pasts, letting himself go. But on the return of a certain unpredictable Kunoichi, everybody believes that she will be the one to save him. Will she help? How can one girl bring about the aloof man and save him from himself? Just when she wanted was some peace in her life. Good-Sasuke. Akatsuki not really going to be used. Just pure Drama and Romance.

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For the following week, Naruto had Kakashi go through the conditioning again with his weights. He still took a while to finish the exercises within the allotted time before she called it quits around lunchtime and gave him an apple and a bottle of water before heading towards the mission desk where Iruka was. It was time to allow the man a bit of change in their routine. "Yo, Iruka-sensei." Naruto greeted with a lazy wave as she was reading Jiraiya's recent book in her hand as Kakashi trudged behind with a look of defeat.

Iruka and Tsunade were amused, along with the other workers. It was like the roles were reversed, except Naruto was stricter on the training provided. Iruka greeting the girl. "Naruto, you look happy today."

Naruto snapped her book close and pocketed it. "Of course. Kakashi-san here…" Slapping Kakashi's shoulder and gripped onto it tightly. "Is going to take a D-rank mission…hmm, about three will do today."

Kakashi gasped scandalously as he gave Naruto the disbelieving eye. "You wouldn't…"

"I can always make it 12." Naruto smirked and caught the missions Tsunade tossed at her.

"Don't break him, brat." Tsunade warned as Naruto waved her off and walked out of the door with Kakashi dragging his feet behind her with an utterly defeated posture. Waiting till they were out of sight before they all started laughing, even Tsunade snorted in humour. "That girl has Kakashi wrapped right around her pinkie."

Iruka nodded in agreement. "To think a former ANBU Capitan can be reduced to this, Tsunade-sama. We can only hope that Naruto doesn't fry his mind with all her humiliation she's placed on Kakashi."

XXXX

"Okay, first up…Dog Walking. You know the rules. No chakra, KI or threatening." Naruto looked through the scroll as they headed towards the Inuzuka compound.

"Dog walking?" Kakashi groaned as he dropped his arms around her shoulder as he was walking behind her. Being dragged along the dirt road. "Please Naruto, anything but those Ninken. Farming, babysitting…anything will do." Resting his head on her shoulder.

Naruto waved the other two scrolls for Kakashi to see. "Don't worry, Kakashi-san. Farming and babysitting are right here. We've trained all day for this, at least be excited that your awesome friend got you these amazing missions." She felt Kakashi stiffen and stopped walking. Unwrapping his arms from her shoulders and turned to look at him in confusion. There was a blank look on his face and touched his shoulder. "Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi grabbed her hand suddenly and looked her in the eyes seriously. "Is this real? Are you serious about what you said? We're friends?" There was a hint of hope in his voice as he asked her.

Naruto released a light chuckle and ruffled Kakashi's hair. "Considering you survived me this long, you've earned that right, Kakashi-san. Come on, those dogs ain't gonna walk themselves."

Kakashi nodded and followed behind Naruto with a large smile behind his mask. He was practically radiating happiness that the others around them could feel his emotions. Especially Gai, Asuma and Kurenai hiding up on the rooftop watching. Asuma having to slap a hand around Gai's mouth as to not give way their positions.

Kurenai saying with glimmering eyes. "Now look at that. I give it a month for Kakashi to figure out he likes her and another month to accept his feelings for her before Kakashi pursues Naruto."

"The only problem is Naruto's stubbornness, though it's a good thing that Kakashi is equally as stubborn as her." Asuma added. "But then there is also the chance that Katsumi might interfere and want Kakashi back…" He saw Kurenai and Gai's confused faces and said. "Katsumi broke it off with Karou when Naruto humiliated them both in front of the village."

Kurenai snickered as Gai shook his head in amusement. "Our youthful buttercup is filled of energy I see, but then it's up to us to stop Katsumi from ever meeting Kakashi for the next two months that he is living with young Naruto." Holding his hand down as they placed their hands on top with seriousness in their eyes. "Kakashi and Naruto deserve to be happy." The three surprised when several other hands landed on top of their and looked up to see that their subordinates were all there with matching grins.

"If it's for Naruto, we'd do anything." Sakura said. "And whenever you three are out of the village, someone will have to step in with Katsumi."

Shikamaru smirked. "Believe it or not, but I've always wanted to see Naruto and Kakashi-sensei together. Even when we were genin, I could see that they suited each other perfectly."

"Like the sun and moon." Neji voiced.

Asuma chuckled. "Then it's sorted everyone. Remember now; don't interfere with Naruto and Kakashi. They have to come together on their own. Our goal is to keep Katsumi away till Kakashi figures out his feelings. Agreed."

"HAI!"

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"BAHAHAHAHAHA. OMG! BAHAHAHA!" Naruto was bawling her eyes out as she was laughing heavily at Kakashi. Clutching her middle as he pointed as the man covered in horse manure. "You smell like shit…literally!"

Kakashi folded his arms. He wasn't amused. "Naruto. Stop. Laughing. Now." He breathed out in a stressed tone.

Naruto bit her lips yet she was still shaking with mirth. Not being able to hold back as she exploded into more laughter. "To think you sucked at dog walking and now this! This is too much, Kakashi-san." Weaving a few hand signs and blasted the man in water. "You really suck at manual labour, Kakashi-san. You're losing your touch." Summoning a large gust of wind to dry the man and giggled when he looked like he met a tornado. "You still smell though…hmmm." She looked around the place till she found a tomato and plucked one and tossed it at Kakashi. "Clean yourself with that. You have a kid to babysit next."

Kakashi sulked yet he followed Naruto loyally as he scrubbed himself down with the one tomato she gave him and said. "Do I really have to babysit, Naruto? I would rather go through your training for the rest of the day."

"As flattering as that sounds, you need these skills. We might get a mission where we have to go undercover to watch over a young prince or noble. Who knows?" she shrugged her shoulders. "You might just have a kid one day and you'll thank me for forcing these missions onto you. You might own a regular dog than just your Ninken to comfort this child while you're out on missions. You might even want to start your own veggie garden to know exactly what you're using to make them grow. Even if you are 30-something, it's not that bad to have something up your sleeve for later."

Kakashi looked at Naruto in a new light. She looked so casual when she said that and asked her. "Is that what you want, Naruto?" Naruto gave him a look to expand on his question. "To have kids, a pet and to grow your own food; is that what you want?"

Naruto let out a light laughter that had Kakashi captured as he sped up his pace to walk beside her. The blonde answering with a distant look in her eyes as a soft smile touched her pink lips. "More than anything I want to have my own children, a nice husband to come home to and a pet that would like to cuddle on a rainy day…" she looked at Kakashi with a large and elated grin. "I already have a garden though. It's out on the terrace. Ero-Sennin brought me seeds after the chunin exams after he told me to plant some tomatoes to gain some patience. Turned out I have a knack for gardening and he brought me everything to help with it."

"At least that explains why he comes over to eat unannounced." Kakashi muttered. Remembering all the times, Jiraiya would randomly show up for breakfast or dinner with no reason at all and Naruto wouldn't react and just accustom for the Sannin.

"What about you, Kakashi-san? Would you like to have a family to come home to?" Naruto asked the copy-nin with a curious look in her eyes.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask and answered honestly. "I've never thought about it before, but I meet the one and want a future with her, then yes I would love to have a family with her." Shocked when Naruto ruffled his hair as he realised that she wasn't the short genin anymore, but now she reached his shoulders.

"I hope you meet her one day, Kakashi-san." A dark look crossed her face as she said in a chilling tone. "But, if she is another Katsumi, I won't sit back. Even if you end up hating me, I won't let yourself become that person again, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi masked his shock and asked. "Why?"

Naruto deadpanned at him. "Are you serious? It's because I care. I wouldn't let any of my friends date the wrong person and I would want them to do the same for me." She stared walking again and looked ahead with a blank stare. "Friends are meant to be there for one another."

Kakashi nodded and didn't say anything. Deciding to change the heavy topic by saying to Naruto. "You said that you wanted a 'nice husband'. What type of man would he be?" chuckling when she looked at him wide-eyed and chuckled.

"It wouldn't matter what type of man he is or what he did for a living. I guess when I feel safe in his arms, I know he's the one I want to be with." She laughed and waved her hand dismissively. "Why are we talking about this? It's too serious." Reaching the intended house and placed the scroll in Kakashi's hand. "Here's the place. I'll come and pick you up after the job is done but if you're having trouble send a Ninken my way. Baa-chan needs me." gesturing to the messenger bird and shunshined just outside of the Hokage tower. Taking in a deep and staggering breath before she entered the building with her shoulders squaring. She saw the dark brown ribbon on the bird's leg and understood what the message was.

Tsunade stood up when Naruto entered her office and had a serious look on her face. "Naruto…" looking to the letter on her desk as Jiraiya came over and placed a supporting hand on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto just stared at the broken seal of the letter and asked just one question. "How long do I have?"

XXXX

Kakashi immediately picked up on the change of Naruto's behaviour after he finished babysitting. She had greeted him with a smile and everything, but he knew something was off and decided not to ask her unless she told him. The girl liked her privacy and followed her home with a light and witty conversation about his babysitting skills. "How about I make dinner this time?" Kakashi offered once they entered the apartment.

Naruto gave Kakashi a wary look before saying. "If you burn my place down or food-poison me, I will retaliate." Leaving him alone in the kitchen as she sat in the living room and pulled out a few scrolls to study.

Kakashi took that as his queue to make dinner, but he first decided to clean up and have a shower.

Naruto looked over the etiquette scrolls she got from Iruka-sensei. She would have to learn all this and that made her sigh. She was more of a practical person than a study person. "It's a good thing Iruka-sensei said that he'd help me." She muttered as she decided to read over the material before her and wrote down a few notes. "Maybe Hinata-chan can help me too." Consuming her into reading over the material and steps that would help her in the future.

Kakashi exited the bathroom with just his sweats and a shirt on. Finding Naruto studying and committed the scene to memory with his sharingan as he knew it was a rare sighting for Naruto to sit still for so long and made her a warm cup of tea to help before he started cooking. He decided on making a simple omu-rice since he knew he wouldn't burn this dish. Placing his masterpiece on the table and said. "Dinner's ready Naruto!" hearing her placed her items down and head his way as he got them some drinks.

"Thanks for the food." Naruto said before she dug into the egg and rice. Chewing thoughtfully before she swallowed and said. "When was the last time you cooked?"

Kakashi frowned. "Dunno. I usually order takeout."

Naruto chuckled as she replied. "That explains a lot. You're dish is plain and below-average, but edible. Next time, I'm going to teach you how to cook, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi pouted behind his mask. "At least you're honest." Watching as Naruto, once again looked down as she ate so that he could eat his meal in peace. He could sense that she had calmed down a bit from when she picked him up and asked. "I have a bad feeling. What are you going to do to me?"

Naruto chuckled again. "Nothing too stressful for a jounin." Finishing off their dinner in silence and both cleaned up their mess before Naruto gestured for Kakashi to sit at the table as she went for a shower. Though not before placing Jiraiya's new Icha-Icha book before him and left to clean up. Returning from her shower to see that Kakashi was gripping at the base of the chair as he saw glaring a dagger at the book before him and rummaged through the back of her pantry for a sake bottle and grabbed two saucers before sitting before Kakashi and placed the items down. "Self-control." Pouring a drink for her before she served Kakashi. "Nobody is going to sleep till this bottle is gone and you're not allowed a single sip of your drink. I will be pushing you mentally and emotionally, Kakashi-san. This is to build up your resistance if you're ever tortured. For the past months your resistance has crumbled and it's time we built it up again. It will be hard on you. Are you ready?"

Kakashi looked at Naruto pleadingly and asked. "You'll get drunk. Sake is strong stuff, Naruto."

"Don't worry about me. Worry for yourself, Kakashi-san." Naruto said clearly and unaffectedly. "I have a high tolerance thanks to Ero-Sennin and Kyūbi. I'll ask one last time. Are. You. Ready?"

Kakashi looked to clear liquid before him and gulped. Whispering out quietly and coarsely. "Yes."

Naruto nodded and opened the Icha-Icha book to the front cover to show Kakashi, Jiraiya's signature. Holding the book up before his eyes and snapped her fingers to create a small light. Without waiting, she lit the book on fire before magically pulling out Kakashi's hidden collection of his Icha-Icha. Downing her cup of sake before burning another book as she said in an emotionless voice. "Your heart is weak, Kakashi-san. If a mere civilian could shatter your ice-cold heart just like that and reduce you to a garbage heap, then you are weaker than I thought." Burning the movie poster of Icha-Icha and poured her another cup before taking a sip. Gazing to the bottle and said. "I've had this sake for a while. It came from Kumo. When it's warmed up, it has a warm spice to it when it goes down my throat. It's simply quiet delicious." Pulling out a kunai and stabbed it through Kakashi's first ever Icha-Icha book as she poured herself another drink. "Tell me, Kakashi-san. Have you ever wondered what Katsumi was thinking every time you touched her, every time you kissed her, every time you complimented her and every time you made love to her?" Her voice was harsh, sadistic and absolutely cruel as her eyes pierced right through Kakashi. "Did you ever think that your touch disgusted her?! That every time you kissed, she wanted to throw up?!" slicing the book in half as the kunai went straight through. "Every compliment she wanted to cringe! Every time you made love, she wanted wash her body in bleach?!" she shocked Kakashi by pulling out a picture of him and Katsumi hugging with big smiles as they were having a picnic. She started to burn it before his eyes. "You're weak, Kakashi-san. Always have been right from the moment I first met you, I knew you were weak. How does it make you feel to know that you've failed as a sensei?! That you've failed as a lover?! That you've failed as a friend?! That you've failed?!"

"SHUT UP!" Kakashi screamed at Naruto as he watched the rest of Katsumi's face burn into nothing. His fingers breaking through the base of the chair and resisted the urge to attack Naruto as she began tearing out the pages of his Icha-Icha collection.

Naruto leaned forward with a sly smirk. "You can make it all disappear, Kakashi-san." Sneakily pushing his sake cup forward as she poured her another cup and tossed it back like water. "All you have to do is simple." She urged him and sounded like a sly snake. "Make it disappear. Drink all that failure and pain away, Kakashi-san. Nobody would have to know but you and I. Drink, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi shook in his seat and forced out a whisper as he would only gaze to the sake before him. "I-I can't…" His biological eye widen as a kunai was placed before his sight.

"It's oh-so simple, Kakashi-san." Naruto's voice turned into one of ice-cold silk. Dangerous and alluring. "Drink all the pain away…cut all the pain away. All you have to do is take that saucer to you lips and take a sip. A small one. Or you can take that kunai, place it over your heart and push without a thought and it's all gone. All that pain and misery you've been going through for that past several months can all go away, Kakashi-san. Chose, Kakashi-san. Make it go away. Nobody will blame you, Kakashi. Come on. Do it." she whispered softly as if it was the right thing to do.

Kakashi licked his masked lips as his throat became parched. He was visibly shaking now as Naruto's voice was tempting his fragile brain so much. "I can't!" he whispered harshly. "I can't! I made a promise not to!"

"Oh? How resilient of you, Kakashi-san." Naruto purred as she poured another drink and tossed it back. Blowing her alcoholic breath towards Kakashi's senses as he was still looking at the two items before him. "Doesn't it hurt? The never-ending ache in your heart." She lightly purred as she walked around the table and blew lightly on his ear. "Only you can make it end. Finish it." Tapping his heart lightly. "Everyone you care about it gone, right? Your sensei, team and your father. They're all dead, right? Join them. You miss them as much as they miss you. They're waiting for you, Kakashi-san. All these years, they've been waiting for you to return to them. Look…" Lightly tilting his head up into the living room. "Can't you see them, Kakashi-san? Can't you hear their cries for you?"

Kakashi's biological eye widen as he gasped. He saw Rin, Obito, Minato-sensei, Kushina-nee-san and his father, Sakumo. They were all there waiting for him. He could see Rin's lips moving but he couldn't hear anything. "I can't hear Rin!" he cried out. "I can't hear her!" Tears sliding down both his eyes as he gripped the table till his knuckled went white. In a flash, he grabbed the kunai and tried to plunge the metal into his heart when suddenly a warm hand grabbed his wrist. It ceased his shaking as the images of his precious people all faded away. "W-what…?" he whispered and looked to the hand that stopped him and looked up into the warm and concerned eyes of Naruto. He gazed to the table in confusion and saw only Jiraiya's new Icha-Icha book and nothing else. "W-what…?"

Naruto saw Kakashi start to shake and break down into tears. Hugging him tightly to her frame as she stood before him and soothed his back as she whispered. "It wasn't real, Kakashi-san. It was a genjutsu." She could feel his chakra wavering and without him noticing, stabbed a senbon into the base of his neck and caught him as all his weight fell on her. Pulling the senbon out and said. "Kakashi-san must never be alone. His self-control is at an all-time low right now. I want to help him more than ever. I've never seen Kakashi-san so…afraid." Looking to the person in front of her. "What do I do, Ero-Sennin? He fell for your c-ranked genjutsu."

Jiraiya hummed as he patted Naruto's head in support. "Be there for him. That's all you can do is be there for him and show the stubborn brat that you will always be there for him if he ever falls. Kakashi needs an anchor right now and you're that person he needs. Be there for him."

Naruto nodded with Jiraiya poof-ing out of existence. Carrying Kakashi to her room instead as he kept on whimpering and shaking in his sleep and tucked him under her covers before she joined him and held him close. Singing a light lullaby to the Hatake as he slowly stopped shaking and sung herself asleep.