Recovery: Chapter 16
Summary: Kakashi 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.
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Naruto leapt down from the waterfall, content with today's training and walked across the lake towards Kakashi. She could see the man doing press-ups as Pakkun sat on his back. "Still shirtless." Naruto tusked as she approached the pair and could hear the pug scolding his Master. About what? She didn't want to pry and cleared her throat as she drew closer and reached for her towel. "Am I interrupting something special?" She asked with a teasing smile.
Pakkun snorted and leapt off Kakashi's back. "I prefer someone with a bit more hair." Pakkun grabbed the towel between his teeth and took over to Naruto who took it graciously.
"Thank you." Naruto muttered and dried herself off. Carefully watching Kakashi when he stood up and revealed his ripped form. Naruto frowned, "How have you managed to keep your body in shape?" She asked the thought that had been clouding her mind for some time.
Kakashi accept the water that Pakkun handed to him and explained. "I guess it all has to do with my beast." He tapped his head as he took a refreshing sip.
"Can I meet him?" Naruto asked.
"No/No!" Kakashi and Kyuubi shouted loudly.
Naruto flinched with a frown forming on her face. "I'm going to have to meet him eventually, Kakashi. I'd rather it be willingly than having to force you to show me." She saw the worry and concern cloud in his eyes and squatted before him. Saying gently, "Is there a chance of him hurting me?"
Kakashi sighed, "Not hurt, though, I'm sure you won't like it and attempt to kill me."
Naruto snorted and rolled her eyes. "Well, does he have to do with why we can speak to each other telepathically? I've been putting it off for a while but now is better to ask than later on."
"I was hoping you'd forget." Kakashi chuckled, "My beast feels a bond with you, like family. He must've attached himself to you when I wasn't all there or in control." He eased out his little play to the blonde. Kakashi made the mistake of looking her in the eyes, seeing them filled with mischief. "D-don't-" He spoke and slowly crawled backwards. "I don't know what you're planning but don't do it."
Naruto waved her hand dismissively. "I'm not going to do anything, Kakashi. Don't think so ill of me. I have grown up, ya know." Her trademark tick slipped out and saw it made Kakashi even more nervous. Naruto chuckled and stood back up, making her way to a shady spot. "I'm gonna meditate for a while. You do you, Kakashi." Settling into her spot and closed her eyes. She could feel Kurama pushing at the back of her mind and forced him away. If he hadn't piped in with Kakashi, she wouldn't be doing this but since he had, Naruto had to know the truth. The full truth. Naruto allowed herself to sink into her mindspace and felt out to the connection she had with Kakashi. Naruto felt the buzzing warmth and quickly latched onto it, pulling herself to the powersource. Slowly opening her eyes, Naruto found herself in a white barren room. The complete opposite of her mindscape. She heard a terrifying rumble behind her and quickly leapt out of harm's way, quickly summoning her chakra chains to contain the beast before her.
"Release me!" The beast roared out as the chains made him feel weak.
Naruto landed silently and walked up to the restrained beast. Curiosity swimming her eyes as she took in its rippling humanoid form. She could feel her chakra humming in excitement and slowly reached out to the beast. Ignoring it's low growl and laid her hand on his broad chest and felt him settle under her touch. "You," Naruto whispered, looking up into his animalistic eyes. "Finally, I've found you." Wonder in her eyes, remembering the beast before her. "I never got to thank you for saving me from Sasuke. Thank you for not killing him, too."
The beast huffed and tried to get her to touch him more. "I had believed you forgot about me, little fox." He grumbled out. His memory flashed back to when he forcibly made his way out of Kakashi and ran to Naruto during her fight with Sasuke at the Valley of the End. Fighting to get to her before her heart stopped. "It took all my power not to rip apart that child. Had you passed out, I would've gladly done so." Getting to her had taken all of his energy before Kakashi forced him away and took control. "How that idiot never knew is beyond me." He relished when her fingers ran up his chest to touch his cheek.
"How could I ever forget you." Naruto mumbled. "You're the only beast man I know. I didn't know you were one with Kakashi. I actually thought you were one of Orochimaru's experiments." Naruto removed her hands and tightened the hold of her chains when he made an effort to grab her. The blonde frowned and took a step back. "It wasn't until Kakashi started calling me little fox that I had suspicions and when you appeared before me after Anko I knew there was something going on." Naruto shook her head before growing stern, crossing her arms over as her eyes iced over. "Is Kakashi's change in behaviour because the two of you are able to correspond with one another now, wolf?"
The beast whined at her attitude towards him. "Please, little fox, we mean no harm. I mean no harm."
"I'm taking that as a yes." She muttered to herself. Her eyes widened when one of her chains snapped at the beast tried to free himself. Naruto held her hands up and summoned more chakra chains to secure him tightly till only his head was visible.
The beast simmered in anger at being chain. His mate was just before him after years apart and he couldn't take it much longer. "Little fox…" He hissed out threateningly.
"What are you to me?" Naruto didn't beat around the bush and asked the beast straight. "Kakashi won't be completely honest with me and neither will Kurama. I need you to tell me the truth." She knew he wasn't going to budge with his building anger and added on, "I've been traumatized with what Kakashi has done to me. Please, I won't handle someone else betraying me at this moment." She held her smirk in when the beast slumped against her chains and knew she was going to get her answer. Her victory fell short when Kakashi appeared before his beast and shattered her chains with just one touch. Naruto snarled out at the interruption and knew she now held no power in this world now that he was here.
Kakashi looked over to Naruto furiously. "I knew something was up when you walked away too early. Were too calm. I know you better than you believe, Naruto." He threw a murderous glare to his beast which stopped the beast from running over to Naruto. It was best for him to stay in the middle. To protect the two from one another. The beast from being inappropriate to Naruto and from her manipulating his beast into giving up information.
"I have a right to know, Kakashi!" Naruto bellowed at the older man. "I notice a hell of a lot of things when I was younger, and I still notice them now! What am I to you?!"
Kakashi bristled, "That is none of your business, Naruto."
"It is my business! It involves me!" Naruto batted back and threw her arms out dramatically. Letting all her frustration out. "I tried so hard to please you when I was younger. Anything to gain your attention, damn it! I even dated that dog-breath in the hopes you'd at least have the decency as my sensei to have the 'talk' with me." She tugged at her hair in annoyance.
"You could've just talked to me - like Sasuke and Sakura did." Kakashi barked back. "You were so annoying back then, picking fights with anybody that breathed wrong in your direction! I had to settle those fights as it was the decent thing to do as your sensei." He sarcastically jabbed and saw her bristle at his comments.
"Annoying?!" She heaved out, fists clenched tightly by her side. "You were an absolute child! Whenever you and Katsumi had a fight I always had to take your drunken ass home! I had to stop you, numerous times, from ruining your friendship with Gai-sensei!"
"Me? A child?" He grinded his teeth together at the insult. "At least I was never lost my temper and destroyed three set of shops! That I had to pay for!"
"That was one time and you had started it!" Naruto screamed. "I just wanted you to listen to me, for crying out loud! I had passed the first level of fuinjutsu and all you cared about was getting rid of me, so you could get 'love and affection' from that cow! You still didn't know I was studying fuinjutsu."
Kakashi scoffed, "It's not like you would've given me love and affection."
Naruto froze in her spot. Her retort frozen on her lips as the heated anger was quickly replaced with sorrow. Her shoulders slumped and took her gaze away from Kakashi to his beast; standing behind his partner with furry to Kakashi and understanding towards her. She felt her throat close up and her heart tremble when the beast nodded at her, that he knew. She looked away and whispered with a slight croak, "I would've, had you given me the chance." Naruto quickly released herself to the real world and ran. Running deep into the forest as the tears were quick to stream down her face. She needed to be away from Kakashi and didn't dare turn back when she heard him yell out to her. "Please don't come after me." She whispered meekly into their connection before cutting ties, so he couldn't reply back. Naruto ran as fast as her body allowed her to and pass the barrier she had set up. Her eyes widened when she saw Sasuke before her - his eyes equally as wide at her sudden appearance.
"Dobe?" Sasuke called out and grunted when she just ran past him. He knew something was wrong and growled in frustration, turning to chanse after her. "Naruto stop!"
"Leave me alone Sasuke!" Naruto shouted back and weaved her way through the trees. She cursed when she felt his fingers brush against her back and leapt up into the trees. "I want to be left alone." She said with little patience.
"You've been crying." Sasuke replied back and gave a final push off a branch, tackling Naruto the earth. They both grunted but Sasuke quickly sat up and pinned her to the ground. "I hate it when you run. You never could outrun me." He scoffed before taking in her damp eyes and softened immediately. "Naruto."
"Don't Sasuke." She seethed as the tears wouldn't return back to where they came from.
"Did Kakashi do this to you?" Sasuke asked, an edge to his voice. He knew he didn't need her answer and when she looked away from her, it just confirmed it. He sighed and scolded her, "I don't understand what you see in him or why you still have feelings for that man, Naruto."
"It's not entirely his fault." She mumbled, "I'm to hold some blame, as well. We're both just too stubborn and we've cause a great deal of pain to you and Sakura."
"Not as much as we've caused you." Sasuke said and released her. Pulling her up to sit. "As much as I hate to admit it, especially to you, I abandoned you when you needed me. I was jealous."
Naruto looked over to Sasuke in surprise. She could see the guilt and embarrassment etched onto his face. "What are you doing out here?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Returning from a mission." He replied, "Needed some space." he shrugged his shoulders and looked to his hands.
Naruto gazed to them too and held back the ache that soon his hands would end Itachi's life. "And training?"
Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "I'm almost there, I can feel it but I still need to train more before I face him." He shooed away the dark thoughts that threatened to consume his mind and reached for Naruto's hands. Smirking when she didn't tense at his touch. He held her gaze and asked her, "Have you thought over what I said?" At this, she did tense and Sasuke read the annoyance in her eyes. He tugged at her hands seriously. "Dobe, I'm serious. Would you seriously prefer Gai or even that spoilt prince that's coming to Konoha? - and, of course I know about him. The entire village is prepping for his arrival and it wasn't hard to connect a few dots."
Naruto looked to their connected hands. She didn't feel anything at the touch. She didn't feel the warmth of protection whenever Sasuke was with her. Naruto knew she could never love or hold intimate feelings for Sasuke, all because of Itachi. Her sibling love for Itachi was far greater for her to enable deep rooted feelings for the youngest Uchiha. "Had certain events never happened, I guess I could see myself being with you, Sasuke." She admitted truthfully. "Don't forget we tried to kill each other once, though."
They both chuckled at the painful memory.
"Will you choose me?" Sasuke asked her.
Naruto shook her head softly. "I'm sorry Sasuke."
The Uchiha sighed heavily and released her hands. "Very well. Though remember, Dobe, I'll always be in your corner." He rose to stand and held a hand out to the blonde. "And if you change your mind, you know how to find me." He smirked which caused her to punch his shoulder playfully. "I guess I should start dating around. Find a way to get over you."
Naruto snorted. Knowing that his was full of shit and they both chuckled together.
"Are you going to head back?" Sasuke asked, looking back in the direction they came.
Naruto shook her head. "Not yet. I need to cool off, otherwise, I'll rip into Kakashi again. I was heading towards a nearby creak before I was viciously tackled to the ground." She rolled her eyes dramatically with a heavy sigh.
Sasuke grunted and pushed her shoulder. "Come, I'll be your distraction and I swear I'll be your friend. Nothing heavy." He held out his pinkie, knowing it would calm her and he would keep his word.
Naruto completed the symbol and lead Sasuke towards the creak. "Before we go all carefree, I just wanna ask you: Why do you still love me, Sasuke? After everything that I've done to you."
"The same reason why you still love Kakashi, Dobe."