Kakashi stood in Naruto's bathroom both men drenched from the broken pipe that had burst. He stared at Naruto eye wide and the ridiculous urge to laugh at his face
"Maybe you should have stayed at the hospital" Kakashi teased half heartedly scratching at his chin. Naruto glared up at him and flicked his cheek
"This isn't funny Kakashi!" He pouted
"It's a little funny, you got out not even twelve hours ago" he smiled and Naruto rolled his eyes and lifted the mask back up. Kakashi chuckled and pulled it back down
"Okay, okay. Sorry! We just need to call the call the labdlady to get her plumber in. We at least turned the water off so that should be all we need to do for now"
"Okay, a plumber I can do that, landlady" he nodded looking a little lost
"What? You don't have a plumber?" Kakashi asked carefully.
"I did... but he didn't want to do my place. I think I might have the same problem with this buildings plumber" he shrugged
"I told you before, this isn't going to be the same" Kakashi said softly leaning forward to be eye level with him and put his hand on his shoulder "we know better now, and we made sure it wouldn't be a problem" he reassured Naruto. He didn't look too convinced but he nodded his head and straightened up.
"Okay, I'll go get her..." he trailed off and frowned "who is my landlady?" He asked and Kakashi laughed
"That's right, I didn't tell you. Mebuki Haruno" he said and Naruto's face went blank. "She wanted to make sure you had a place to stay so she bought this place, and rented it out. She's made up, apparently renting the place has already given her half her investment" Kakashi shrugged
"Why would she do that?" Naruto asked his voice weak eyes glossed over, not really focusing on the room.
"You've saved her daughter countless times, you forgave her poor treatment of you without hesitation. She appreciated that" Kakashi explained and Naruto blinked a few times before his eyes seemed to focus.
"Really?" A small smile came to his lips and it made Kakashi happy that an adult had finally dropped their prejudice and seen Naruto even a little. He seemed a little less worried about calling on her for the pipe at least. Naruto went to get changed handing Kakashi a towel and a mask. It didn't cover his neck like he was used to but it was better than his drenched one. He wasn't on mission and truly didn't want to breath through a wet mask.
"Is it just habit now?" Naruto asked stopping in the doorway
"It's like a part of me. I'd feel a little naked without it" he shrugged "plus I'm so famous it helps to have a face nobody has seen before for the stealthy missions" he hadn't planned it that way but he supposed he was just lucky. He wondered if Obito had thought his gift would make Kakashi so well known? Or if he had know it would have kept him alive for as long as he had been. He couldn't count how many times it was the reason he survived the many battles he had been in. Naruto nodded and went into his room. Kakashi used the towel to try to dry his hair as best he could. It was so thick he didn't have much hope it would make much difference. There was a knock at the front door, Kakashi put the mask on and went to answer it.
"Kakashi!" Sakura smiled Sai next to her "What happened?" She asked eyes widening.
"A pipe burst" he said pointing over his shoulder with his thumb, stepping aside so they could enter.
"We were about to come see your mum" Naruto said coming out with damp hair but dry clothes.
Sakura only stared at Kakashi squinting at him. He wondered what had her so focused until her fingers brushed his neck and he tensed from the foreign contact.
"Where is your usual mask? She asked
"It got soaked" he said pulling on the fabric around his neck. Her eyes narrowed and then she was glaring and Naruto
"Have you seen his face?" She asked calmly. It was so calm in fact Kakashi felt a little worried for Naruto. Taking a big step back looked to Naruto sympathetically
"Uh... well yeah, kinda" he laughed nervously scratching the back of his head.
"Kinda?" She asked
"Yeah I mean yeah I have" he sagged his shoulders
"That is so unfair!" She yelled "when did you see?"
"Um... when we were twelve" he admitted hesitantly and her jaw most definitely would have hit the floor if it could.
"You mean all this time and you knew?!" She yelled looking furious "you were the one who convinced us to try and get a look!"
"I just..." he hesitated and as if she understood it was going to be upsetting she relaxed and stepped up to him
"Rememeber, be honest with me" she said softly And he nodded.
"I just wanted us to do something together... you know, outside of missions and training" he shrugged nervously and her face fell as pain and regret became obvious
"Well still it's been years!" She huffed and he nodded
"I know" he said and she whirled on Kakashi
"Can I see?" She asked face beaming with excitement
"NO!" Naruto yelled "Sakura you can't, you have Lee!" Naruto
"So?" She asked frowning at him.
"He is beyond good looking okay! Can't risk you falling in love with him"
She rolled her eyes
"That is ridiculous" she said "I would not fall for Kakashi by one look of his face" she laughed but it sounded a little nervous as she eyed him curiously.
"In any case we need to go see your mother right now. Perhaps discuss this on the way" Kakashi said gesturing to the door. They nodded and headed out Naruto last and locking the door.
"I must admit I am curious to see under your mask too" Sai put in and Kakashi nodded
"Most are" he told the boy. From what he had been told Sai had no social cues, and he does seem harmless so far. Kakashi still didn't trust him. Yamato explained that Sai is like a baby, he had no feeling or understanding of them and Sakura had made it her mission to help him with it.
-
Naruto was going to have to stay at Kakashi's place for a few days while they fixed the pipe. Kakashi didn't mind in the slightest it also gave him the opportunity to talk about what he had meant. He worried Naruto was giving up, the dream he had and he still couldn't shake it, and then hearing Naruto say he thought there was a chance he wouldn't make it was more than a little concerning to him. So after dinner they sat down and Naruto sighed
"Okay, what is it?" He asked
"Not as mysterious as I think, am I?"
"Not with me" he smiled and put his hand on his chin leaning to the side some
"When you said to Shikamaru, that you may not make it, was that just you trying to be realistic or..?" He trailed off and Naruto's face had fell bit by bit as he spoke.
"Well yeah" he said "I mean I know I'm cocky, but let's face it if Itachi came for me right now I'd lose" he said it so casually "and we can only guess the leader is stronger. I know I'm stronger, and I know I wouldn't ever give up but..." he trailed off and Kakashi nodded for him to continue "I'm pretty sure even I have a limit, right?"
"Right" Kakashi agreed and felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his chest.
"Yet to find it though" he said grinning and Kakashi had to roll his eye
"We will be there to back you up. So don't think you have to take it all on yourself" he said and Naruto nodded
"I mean it, you know you have Sakura, Yamato and Me. That's just the start"
"I know" he smiled "people have gotten better... since I came home it's not as..."
"I'm glad to hear it" Kakashi agreed silence fell for a while.
"I'm going with Pervy Sage for a while" he said softly "he says he wants to teach me some stuff, it won't be so long this time"
"How long?" Kakashi asked burying his anxiety, he wasn't sure he could do another long trip.
"A few months" he shrugged
"That's not so bad then" Kakashi smiled and Naruto nodded
"Do you think we made the right choice? Abandoning Sasuke?" Naruto asked quietly and Kakashi couldn't even hide the surprise "I mean I get Sakura giving up, and I'm glad she's moving on but... feels wrong, you know?"
Only Naruto would feel like it was wrong to abandon a man who treated him so awfully. A man who tried to kill him and Sakura.
"He tried to kill you, nobody would blame you for not wanting to bring him home anymore" Kakashi said gently
"Yeah I know, and I don't want him near Sakura. It's just, he's lost, I'm sure if I tried I could reach him from whatever darkness he had let consume him"
"Some people are just too far gone Naruto"
"There is always something that could pull them back. He isn't emotionless, he is focused. I don't think that's the same thing"
Kakashi sighed and cursed the boys ability to see the good in anyone. No matter how bad they had been.
"Naruto, you can't try to help everyone. What are you going to do when the Akatsuki come for you? Look for a way to change their minds?"
"Maybe" he half shrugged "I know its naive but... I'd rather try before resorting to killing them"
Kakashi pinched his nose, he honestly was infuriated and impressed with Naruto's ability to take so much but never give back the same treatment.
"As admirable as your loyalty is, there has to be a limit. A reasonable limit for you to put your foot down and do what needs to be done"
"I will, if they're a threat to the village, or the people I care about, of course I will do what needs to be done"
"And if they're a threat to you?" Kakashi asked and Naruto hesitated looking at the floor
"Then I'll do what I have to if I can't reach them" he said "I have a promise to keep after all" he smiled sadly.
"What promise?" Kakashi asked
"To do whatever I have to to come home alive. With all I have" he shrugged and Kakashi smiled at him shaking his head
"Shikamaru?" He asked and Naruto smiled wide nodding
"Had to reassure him some how after I freaked him out with the thinking realistically conversation"
"Good, I didn't like that either" Kakashi agreed.
He wasn't giving up, the only thing to worry about now is what he would do if he came across Sasuke again.