Naruto all but ran to class A-7.
His body was buzzing with the notion he was going to see Sensei. And Sensei promised he'd tell him a story about his parents. That was the main reason for the excitement.
The other reason must have been the hope singing inside him, despite his best attempt to keep it silenced, that he might catch Sense napping again.
He opened the door – quietly – and peeked inside.
Damn it.
Sensei was awake, sitting in his chair, legs resting on his desk, and reading his book while speaking on the phone. "Today works, I believe. Great. Thanks, Gai." He hung up. "Morning, Uzumaki."
"Morning, Sensei," Naruto replied, curious. His eyes followed the movement of his legs as he lowered them back to the floor. "Are you busy?"
"Not anymore." Sensei summoned him with his hand, still reading his book. "What's on your mind?"
Sensei's fingers caused his heart rate to pick up. Naruto scoffed at himself as he dragged his chair next to the desk and slumped into it. "You spoke with Gai?" he managed instead.
Sensei looked up. He put down his book and leaned his head on his hand. "I did. He said he'll take you back – as a worker and a student. Can you start today after six?"
Naruto blinked. For a moment, he did not know what to say. Sensei's eye penetrated his very soul. "Um. Yeah. Why after six?"
Sensei's brow furrowed for a single, transient moment. "To give you more time to study," he said carefully. "Would you rather – "
"No! S'fine," Naruto interrupted, flustered. He hated Sensei's cautious tone. "Thanks," he added abruptly. He kept feeling like he was messing up. "Did he…." His ears burned red. Naruto looked down. "Was he angry?"
"No, he was worried about you," the man said simply, then smiled. "He even proposed a bet that you'd consider him the better sensei by the end of the year."
Naruto stared. He did not know if to thank the man or be embarrassed about the whole affair. "Um. Why?" he managed, cheeks burning red.
Sensei was still unbothered. "We bet on everything. Last time I lost, and it cost me a car."
Naruto's eyes widened. "You lost your car?!" he cried, leaning closer.
The man leaned back. "I didn't say it was my car." He smirked, but his smile softened when he tilted his head. "You did not say what was on your mind, Uzumaki."
Right. Naruto retrieved the graphing notebook from his bag and lay it between them. "A math problem."
Sensei titled his head. "Oh? Which one?"
He seemed curious – almost surprised – and Naruto's ears flared red in discomfort. "Um. This one. Like, I got an answer, but I've got a feeling it's not… it's not it." He showed Sensei his solution and observed his face.
The black eye scanned his work, dashing from left to right, and then lingered. Naruto bit his lower lip; he almost hoped his mistake would be more difficult to find.
Sensei turned the notebook back to him. "Here – this identity." He pointed. "Why did you use it?"
Naruto stared. "To… to simplify the equation? Did I get it wrong?'
"No, it is the right identity. Do you know the proof behind it?"
"No." Naruto gazed up, jaw locked tight, but Sensei did not look judgmental – or disappointed.
In fact, he smiled. "Let's do it together, then. You will figure out the problem as we solve it."
"And if I don't?" he blurted.
"You will," Sensei said, his voice calm and comforting. "Believe in yourself, Uzumaki."
So Sensei started the proof, encouraging him to take over, and… "It cancels out! I divided by zero!" he cried. Damn. He reached for his notebook and solved it again – without the identity – and presented the new solution to his teacher. "There! I knew my hunch was right!"
Sensei smiled again. "Told you." He leaned his chin on his palm – which was new – and gazed back. Proud. Sensei was proud – of him.
Naruto stared, lips parted, as if trying to drink in the view.
Sensei's smile slowly faded away. He leaned back. "Want to try it again? Using your method, this time?"
"My method…?" Naruto didn't follow. "But it was wrong –"
"Not the identity. Triangles, Uzumaki." Sensei's one eye was too… too something to refuse. Too hot too bright too challenging –
Naruto simply leaned closer and put the notebook between them. "Um. All right. So…." The loud beating drumming in his ears faded away. Math calmed him down. "So if we start with a triangle thingy, and then use a stick-thing, and then – "
"Hold on, I'm not following," Sensei interrupted. He leaned closer – almost close enough for his shoulder to brush Naruto's – and gazed at his drawings. "So, a right triangle and a perpendicular line. Go on."
Naruto blushed. The proof he had planned disappeared the moment he caught a glimpse of Sensei's collarbone. "Um. Sorry… I don't know the… the terms."
Sensei moved away, and Naruto cursed himself for speaking until he returned with a clean sheet of paper – which he divided into three uneven columns. "That's all right. I'll make a dictionary."
Naruto's cheeks flushed. "A… a dictionary?"
Sensei drew a right triangle. "Yeah. An Uzumaki-to-math dictionary. So, a right triangle is a triangle thingy, isn't it? And – "
"Stop!"
Sensei stared, and Naruto flushed when he noticed the slight hesitation in his locked jaw. "Um." He pointed to the drawing. "That's not right. I mean," he added, turning redder and redder, "it's about eighty degrees."
Sensei blinked. Wordlessly, he handed him the paper and his pencil. "Make it right, Uzumaki," he said.
Naruto nodded, still red. He erased Sensei's imperfect triangles and took great care as he drew his own instead – and every other term Sensei named. Sensei explained what they meant, and Naruto translated. It was… surprisingly fun.
"Why… what's that for, Sensei?" he asked quietly. "You said I gotta speak so others understand, to pass on information."
"Yes, and it is still true," Sensei bent beneath the desk, retrieving a box. "But it doesn't mean I want to change the way you think. I want to understand you, Uzumaki, not mold you." He opened the box, revealing an army of perfect onigiri. He smiled. "Let's finish the proof, shall we?"
Naruto nodded, reaching for an onigiri before he could think the act through.
He stuffed his mouth and looked away. "So, um." He glanced at the dictionary. "If we draw a perpendicular line – "
"Don't worry about translating," Sensei interrupted gently. "Focus on the problem. I can keep up."
So Naruto did. He crafted his proof – leading at times and struggling at others – and Sensei was always two steps ahead, ready to correct his course with clever hints or simply nod, challenging him further.
This must have been… the most fun they'd had, Naruto realized. He had never seen Sensei this animated. The usually dry voice and stoic face lit up when they abandoned high school material for the abstract fields of math.
Sensei explained a rather complex concept, and Naruto stared at his fingers and his bright, black eye. He's beautiful, he thought absentmindedly. I think Jiraiya's bluffing. I don't think he knows.
"Good morning, Sensei! Oh, Naruto!"
Naruto jumped and turned to face Sakura, who was approaching them with a smile on her face.
"Already making Sensei work, I see," she commented, though her smile melted into a disgusted wince. "Ew. Of course, you'd solve math problems at seven in the morning." She shook her head. "Did you at least ask Sensei how he was feeling?"
Naruto's blood drummed in his ears. His entire body felt like ants and heat and lightning and fuck. "Um. About… about what?" he asked clumsily. Breathe, goddammit!
Sakura rolled her eyes and offered Sensei the box she held. "I made you soup, Sensei! Are you feeling better?"
Naruto jumped. "You're sick?" he demanded. A new type of lightning burned through him.
Sensei raised his hands, wincing. "I'm fine. Calm down, you two. Uzumaki, sit."
Naruto realized he jumped up; his overreaction caused his chair to fall. He picked it up and sat down, face flushed.
Sakura tilted her head. "Eh? Are you sure, Sensei? You walked right out of class, and then you were gone for an entire day! Even Sasuke was worried."
"Was he," Sensei mumbled. He managed a smile Naruto could have sworn was forced. "I'm quite all right, Haruno. Thank you for your concern. And for the soup."
"So you're fine," she repeated.
"I am," the man reaffirmed. "What do you need?"
Sakura produced a piece of paper. "I want to redeem my voucher, Sensei."
Naruto eyed the slip of paper. It said, 'I believe in you' on one side and '1 free help upon redeeming' on the other. "It's from the game!" he declared, surprised, then turned to gaze at the man next to him. "Seriously? A help voucher?" he grumbled.
Sensei accepted the paper. "Hmm. I thought it was pretty creative." He glanced at Naruto – who flushed red as he pursed his lips – and returned his eye to Sakura. "What can I do for you, Haruno?"
The girl blushed prettily and curled a strand of her hair behind her ear. "So… I've got the MCAT tests soon… And, well, Naruto said you know, well, everything on everything, so… could you tutor me?" she fidgeted, then added, "Also, my mom said she'll pay whatever – "
Sensei waved the voucher, smiling. "No need. You used this, remember?" He leaned back. "When are you taking the exam?"
"In a month," Sakura breathed in relief. "I already started studying, of course! I just need some… some polishing."
"Did you already take some tests?" Sensei steepled his fingers, thinking.
And Naruto watched, breathless and aching. He didn't have a voucher; what if Sensei said he could not meet him in the morning anymore and –
"I did!"
"Good. Bring them with you tomorrow." He closed his eye, thinking. "Can you meet me here after school? Until say… four?"
Sakura blinked. "After school…?" she hesitated.
Oh. She's thinking of Sasuke. Naruto kept drawing triangles and expanding the dictionary and not looking up. If she refused… what would Sensei do?
"Well, my office hours are claimed by Uzumaki, and I tutor Uchiha from about six to eight. I can do four to six, but I thought it might be easier for you to meet immediately after school."
"Um, yes. Yes! That's fine!" Sakura confirmed. "I didn't know you were so busy, Sensei!" Her foot stepped on Naruto's. "No wonder you needed a day off."
Naruto jumped and scrutinized Sensei again.
The man winced. "Like I said, I'm fine. Don't forget the tests, Haruno."
Sakura smiled. "Thank you so much, Sensei! I'll see the two of you later!" she cried as she exited the class.
Sensei exhaled. "All right. Show me what you did – "
"Am I… is this too much?" Naruto blurted, breathless and unnerved. "What she-what Sakura said. Am I – "
Sensei rubbed his face and exhaled, annoyed. "Uzumaki – "
"You fell asleep and one time you said you didn't have time to cook – "
"That was the same time, Uzu-"
"So?! It happened! And – "
"Uzumaki." A heavy hand landed on his head, fingers tangling in his unruly hair. "Calm down."
Naruto stared, eyes wide and heart working overtime. He could not look away, though he tried. Sensei's one eye pinned him in his place.
"My injury acted up, that's all. It's not your fault. Calm down."
Sensei's voice was soft, and his touch was gentle, but his eye was sharp.
Naruto still found it slightly hard to breathe. He gulped. "How… how'd you lose your eye, Sensei?" he asked quietly, his voice barely heard.
Sensei dropped his hand. He looked away. "This isn't something I want to discuss with you."
And Naruto knew he was dismissed. He knew he should accept the man's answer and back off. Every fiber within him felt the hard edge hidden underneath Sensei's quiet refusal.
But Sensei's eye blinked a tad too brightly, and though it might have been a trick of the light, Naruto sank in his teeth and could not let go. "The bandages, in the picture. You looked very young – "
"That's enough, Uzumaki," the man muttered. His voice was curt, but he still looked away.
Naruto leaned closer. "You said you'd tell me a story," he mumbled.
Sensei's eye snapped up, and Naruto immediately leaned back. The eye was cold – Sensei had never looked at him like that before, like he was unwanted and hated and a burden – "And I will; about your parents, Uzumaki. That was our deal."
His voice, however, was quiet.
"M' sorry." Naruto looked away and clenched his fists. "You're mad at me," he whispered.
Sensei was silent for a moment, taking his time before replying, "You disrespected my boundaries."
Naruto clenched harder, digging his nails into his flesh. "I want to understand you too, Sensei," he mumbled.
The man, once again, fell quiet for a moment that felt like an eternity. Then, a hand ruffled his hair, its touch gentle and soothing. "Stories are an unreliable way to understand the living, Uzumaki." When Naruto looked up, he added, "They can change, after all."
He dropped his hand and turned to look at the makeshift dictionary. "Did you finish?"
Naruto did not need to be dismissed one more time. He handed the man his paper and started packing his stuff. "Yeah. Well, I did everything I could think of," he mumbled awkwardly. His hands became fists.
Sensei scanned the paper.
And though his entire body burned with the desire to leave, to flee, to run somewhere safe where he could bash his head against a wall, he couldn't; not when Sensei leaned his head on his fingers and huffed, a slight glint of amusement rekindled in his eye.
He did not look as cold as before, so Naruto dropped his bag and decided to stay. Nervous, agitated, and moments from doing something he'd probably regret, he stayed and waited.
While waiting, he devoured an onigiri. Better sated and rebuffed than hungry, right?
"That's very creative," Sensei commented. He filled in the official terms. "I think I'll have to make you a copy at the end of the year."
Naruto swallowed the last onigiri bite and wiped his mouth. "'cause that's too strange?" he ventured a guess.
"As a memento," Sensei countered lightly. He leaned back in his chair and gazed at him, and Naruto thought he might have looked regretful – but the moment passed too quickly for him to identify. Despite spending hours staring, Sensei's face was still illegible to him.
Sensei cocked his brow, and Naruto flinched and looked away. Caught staring yet again.
The man huffed, and Naruto dared to hope he sounded amused. "Are you busy during the weekends, Uzumaki?"
Naruto gazed up again, eyes wide. "No," he breathed, perhaps a bit too eagerly, and flushed. "Gonna eat ramen again?" he asked carefully, trying to temper his enthusiasm.
Sensei smiled that semi-crooked, tight-lipped smile that Naruto must have drawn at least ten times by now. "If you can manage to get us there in less than an hour." His smile widened when Naruto pursed his lips and glowered half-heartedly back. "Legally, this time," he added.
Naruto blinked. He frowned, trying to decipher what the man said while said man was busy distracting him with his opaque, indecipherable gaze. Finally, it clicked. "You're gonna teach me how to drive?" he exclaimed.
Sensei's smile turned a tad sardonic, but his eye was still gentle and soft. "Yeah. My teaching request was approved yesterday. You will have to fill some papers," which he handed to him, "but it's pretty straightforward. Hand those back to me before this weekend, and we can start."
Naruto scanned the papers quickly and looked up. "Can you tell me a story now?"
And Sensei leaned back, looked away, and began his tale.
"Are you sure that's the right place?" Gai wondered, frowning at the strange-looking lakehouse. It was carved into the cliff, alarmingly close to the rest of the village, yet disconnected from the main road and unmarked on every navigation app.
From their current distance, it was almost impossible to tell it was a house, not a cave.
"Yes," Kakashi affirmed and parked the car. He took off his eyepatch and donned his mask, porcelain white but for the two red stripes along the cheeks, and eased into the mindset of the hound. No mercy; not tonight. "The man who threatened Naruto lives here. He will have men patrolling around, so be careful." When Gai opened his mouth, he added, "and quiet."
Gai nodded, his brow furrowed, and his nun chucks clenched in his fists.
They exited the car.
The footage Jiraiya supplied him with – and his own instincts – allowed Kakashi to navigate to the lakehouse with relative ease. It was nighttime, yet the darkness did not hinder him. The front entrance had at least four cameras he could spot – and as many men watching it, so he and Gai slipped past and entered the lake.
The water was frozen, cold and unforgiving, but the cottage had a direct connection to the lake – perhaps an odd whim of a rich man – and the structure's only weak spot.
That connection was currently blocked by a thick metal net that could only be lifted from the inside. Any damage to it would likely raise the alarm, and yet, he doubted the men outside could quickly access the rest of the cottage. As long as they were fast, they could get a hold of the man and bar the door before help arrived. After all, entering through the lake should be the last thing they'd expect, as the metal net was too strong to be lifted from the outside.
That is, for regular humans.
Kakashi dove to the bottom of the lake. The net was meant to be flexible to endure the changing water pressure; therefore, its weak point was its connection to the ground.
He signaled Gai, who nodded, and together, they kicked the net.
It bent.
They kicked it again. And again. And –
The net gave in.
It tore from the hinges digging into the structure below, creating just enough space for him to shove his hands through and push the net up. The metal wires folded in on themselves, wrinkling unevenly, and both men swam through, racing to the surface.
They did not have much time.
Kakashi was the first to emerge.
A lavish room, marble floor, ginormous fireplace. Hunting guns and harpoons decorated the wooden walls. One visible door. A small bar covered in crystal bottles.
An old man sitting in a giant armchair by the fire, talking to a corded phone. "He is – "
Kakashi moved.
He summoned the strength of the wolf and punched the phone, shattering it and the hand holding it. No mercy.
He glared, frowning when his appearance had no obvious effect on the old man. Despite the pain, his pale eyes retained their cleverness and narrowed calculatingly upon noticing the red shining through the mask.
He had seen the Sharingan before, then. This was worse than he had imagined.
"Heh, you want me to fight this wet, scrawny noodle?" A sharp voice cut through as another man opened the door and leaned on the doorframe. He had a thick build, pale skin, and small, cold eyes. He smelled like fish.
The loan shark who tried to flood Gai's garage and failed. Twice.
"I'll make sushi out of you, scrawny scarecrow," the man said gleefully.
Kakashi smiled. "Are you sure about that?"
"Dramatic entry!"
The loan shark blinked, then turned – all too slow – to face the new threat – and Gai's well-aimed kick hit him in the center of his face.
The man grunted in pain as he stumbled across the threshold, blood spilling down his face, and Gai followed, kicking and smacking him with his nun chucks.
He closed the door behind him.
"You've brought back up," the old man noted. "Scared?"
Kakashi said nothing. He leaned closer, listening to the Gai's muted battle cries, the rapid beating of the old man's heart, and the… slow ticking that seemed to precede it.
Interesting.
"Not particularly," he said smoothly. His hand gripped the man's shirt. "Nor should you be. That is, if you answer my questions."
The man sneered. "Child, I've been playing this game for far longer than you have been alive. Don't think you can fucking threaten me – "
Kakashi ripped off his shirt. His hand dug into his pocket and retrieved a taser. "You have a heart pacemaker," he said, as casual as before. "I wonder what will happen if I strike it with this?"
The man's sneer flickered just once before freezing into a snarl. "You cock sucking bastard – "
Kakashi struck him.
The electricity buzzed as the taser touched the skin. The scent of burnt hair and seared flesh hit his nose. The man grunted as his chest shook and his mouth opened, gasping for air. He tightened his hold of the chair as his broken hand twitched uselessly in his palm.
Kakashi released him, then waited for the aftershock to pass.
"Hmm. This was the lowest setting," he noted. "I wonder if something more exciting will happen if I increase the voltage."
"Wait," croaked the old man. "Wait," he gasped. "Everyone has a p-price. Everything –"
Kakashi leaned closer. "Tell me what I want to know, and I'll let you walk away unharmed," he promised. Urgency leaked into his voice as he bared his teeth and snarled. "Why are you targeting Naruto?"
The man, despite his shallow breathing, managed a throaty laugh. "Don't waste my time asking me what you already know. Stupid kid."
Kakashi growled.
The feral sound wiped the smile from the man's face. He seemed slightly surprised, but not enough. Then the other Uchiha could do so, as well. This was an alarming notion.
"You've seen this before," Kakashi snarled, "the red eye."
The man coughed, then smirked. "I did. I wonder what kind of animal you are, Kakashi of the Sharingan?"
Kakashi struck him again.
He electrocuted his shoulder, as a warning, but he could not ignore the ice that shot through his veins. He knew. He knew his name, and he knew about his power. He knew –
"Who is your informat?" he demanded, pulling on the man's hair to reveal his neck. "I killed your boss. I will not hesitate – "
"Boss?" gurgled the man. "Boss?!" he spat. "That old fool was just used to babysit the dumb brat. And if he had done his job properly, you would've been a corpse already." Blood trickled down his neck.
If he is not one of them, he must be their leader. Kakashi felt sick.
"Then who is he?" he growled. "Who is the Uchiha ordering you around?"
The man's smile sharpened. "I am not at liberty to say."
Kakashi aimed the taser at the man's pacemaker. "Don't. Test me."
His smirk widened. "I think I will, actually. You are but a naive child. You don't know what you have. You don't know how to use it. I have been seeking it all my life. I will not give it away just because of some stupid asshole like you!"
"What have you been seeking? What is it you want?" Kakashi demanded. His hand gripped the man's neck, stained by his blood – oh. Oh.
"He promised you a taste of Senjo's blood," he said slowly, realization flooding through him. "He lied to you." His breath quickened when he saw the truth reflected in the man's pale eyes. "That's not how it works. Senjo's blood only works on an Uchiha," he lied, releasing his hold of the man's neck. "It cannot heal you."
The man scoffed, though his eyes shifted about the room. "I am old," he admitted, "So I've seen every trick in the book. I am not going to fall for – "
"But you have already fallen," Kakashi pointed out, his voice detached and measured. Uncaring. "Here you have been doing all this work for him, enduring pain and torture, only to receive nothing in return. I suppose your only real choice is whether to die of old age or die now. At my hand." Kakashi casually aimed the taser at the man's pacemaker. "The price," he added, his voice a low snarl, "is his name."
The door was kicked open, and Gai stumbled in, sweaty and exhausted but grinning brightly. "Got him!" he announced and dumped the pale, beaten-up body of the loan shark at the old man's feet. His smile disappeared, however, as his eyes took in the sight of the old man; the torn shirt and the seared flesh; the taser in Kakashi's right hand.
His eyes filled with pain. "Kakashi, don't tell me…."
The scent of fear, sharp and acerbic, filled his nose. A sour scent, emitted by an old and ailing body. The old man's eyes widened as he tried to shrink away from the unconscious loan shark –
Who wasn't unconscious at all. His hand fished something from underneath the chair, some sort of remote as his eyes, bloodshot and glazed, lit with victory –
Kakashi grabbed Gai as quickly as he could and dove into the water, transforming into a wolf as he dragged them toward the bottom of the lake –
The house shook.
The water suddenly roared, rising up and smashing them against the concrete wall and then, as if sucked back into the lake, crushed them against the metal net.
Gai curled into a defensive position, gripping his fur as he protected Kakashi's head, while Kakashi coiled around him, shielding his human body with that of the wolf. The harsh blow, however, knocked the air out of his lungs. They didn't have much time.
The water temperature rose as pieces of burning lumber tumbled in, leaving behind a trail of bubbles as they sank into the bottom of the lake. Should a piece of the debris strike them…
The water rose again. They had to escape. Now.
Focus. Though he could barely see, he was not helpless. Kakashi gripped the metal net with his teeth and claws, resisting the flow of the water, and waited. He tasted blood and agony and refused to let go. He could not let go. Not when Gai needed him. Not when Naruto –
Naruto.
He had to get back to Naruto.
For a moment, the momentum of the water eased. The giant wave was about to crush them against the net once more –
And Kakashi was ready. He angled their bodies so they rested below the bent metal and let go of the net. The water returned, as powerful as before, and this time their momentum spat them outside of the metal prison.
Kakashi swam up, kicking almost desperately, and reached the surface.
He took one giant gulp of air, filling his lungs to the brim, and the darkness in his heart eased when Gai lifted his head and breathed, coughing and wheezing. He gasped, then nodded and gripped Kakashi's neck as he helped him paddle back to the shore.
They stumbled onto the cold mud, breathless and weak, shivering and numb, but alive.
They were alive.
Kakashi looked up and gazed at the burning lakehouse. It was gone. They were gone.
He did not learn enough, but what he did learn worried him. The Uchiha had no intention of giving up on Naruto, apparently. Would he flee and regroup? Or would he become even more desperate, even more dangerous, and attack?
Gai coughed and grumbled and wheezed. "That. Ah. That was unyouthful," he declared, lying on his back in the mud and breathing air into his lungs. "Don't you ever do that again."
Kakashi got up, legs shivering, and took a few hesitant steps away from Gai. He shook his fur, then stumbled onto a patch of soft grass and transformed back. "I did not know about the bomb."
Gai scoffed. "That's not what I meant." He sat up, glaring at him. "That mask brings out the worst in you," he stated plainly, his eyes aching. "I hate it. I hate seeing you like this. It's like I don't know you. It's like you're one of them."
Kakashi's throat tightened. "Gai – "
"You promised me. You made me a promise," he cried, pointing his thumb at his chest, "that you will not go back. You promised your mom – "
"She's not my mom."
"She is and you know it," Gai objected, his voice thick and heavy. "You don't know what you look like."
Kakashi kept his eyes fixed on the blazing flames. "I had to," he muttered, his voice cold. "I need to protect Naruto. I need to know what they are going to do. I need to make sure they fail."
Gai shook his head. "Do you seriously think Naruto would have been happy to see you like that? Do you think – "
Kakashi's eyes snapped to meet his. "I think he'd be happy to be alive and unharmed," he muttered, coldness weighing down his words. "They want to use him as they see fit, they want to hurt him, they want to steal his future from him, his dreams, his body. They don't deserve mercy."
Gai's throat clicked. "Kakashi – "
"I did what I had to do," he reaffirmed, pain bleeding through his chest. "I am not proud of it," he added, his voice a whisper. "I didn't want you to see it."
He gazed at the burning house as Gai's eyes proved to be too much for him and curled his hands into fists. Was it all for nothing? Was it –
Was it a signal? What if someone was watching, waiting? What if –
I need to get back to Naruto.
"Can you get back by yourself?" he demanded.
Gai blinked, surprised. "I… yes," he answered hesitantly, "but – "
"Good. Take the car. I need to get back to Naruto. I need to make sure he's okay."
Gai stared. "Ah. Wouldn't it be better if we went together? If –"
"No," Kakashi stated curtly. "He doesn't know about… about all this. I don't want to scare him."
"But –"
No time to explain. Kakashi transformed back and dashed through the forest, running as fast as he could. His exhaustion had no meaning. His pain had no meaning. He had to get back. He had to find Naruto.
His entire existence howled with urgency. He had to protect Naruto –
He galloped through the trees, leaped over bushes, and jumped up the window –
To find Naruto, a gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other, about to leave his apartment.
The teen started when he heard him arrive, then slumped in relief against the door. "Buddy," he whispered, his voice taunt, and Kakashi could not refuse his call.
He landed next to him and placed his paws on his shoulders, sniffing and licking him. The teen stumbled to the floor under his weight, so Kakashi curled around him, pulling him into his lap as he sniffed and licked, searching for injuries. Searching for intruders.
His body smelled of cold sweat, of fresh fear and old distress, so Kakashi pulled him closer to his chest. He whined.
Naruto lay the gun and flashlight on the floor and hugged him back, burying his fingers in his fur. He held on so tightly. "I had a nightmare," he choked. "I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe at all."
Kakashi whined again and shoved his nose into the teen's shirt, breathing warm air down his back. Naruto was so cold.
"I couldn't find you," the teen mumbled, kicking off his shoes and nesting his toes in Kakashi's tail. "I thought something happened to you." He burrowed deeper into his embrace. "I was scared," he admitted.
Kakashi rumbled softly, brushing his back awkwardly with his paw. Slowly, he pulled on Naruto's shirt with his teeth, then guided him back to bed. He covered him with his body, growling tenderly as he licked his face from tears, and –
And then he smelled it.
A powerful scent of malice and fury, powerful and blinding, emerged through the window.
Kakashi rose, snarling, yet saw nothing. He lifted his paws, ready to pounce –
"No!"
Naruto wrapped his hands around his neck and his legs around his stomach and did not let go. "You gotta stay! You gotta stay! You can't – no!"
Kakashi growled and shook his body, trying to get the teen to let go –
"No!" Naruto grabbed his fur in his fists and pulled, his hold painful, and only curled tighter around his body. "S'just a cat or something. Stay," he choked. "Stay with me."
Kakashi looked up, a growl shivering in his chest, but the presence was gone; he could no longer sense it. The threat could not have gone far, however. Perhaps he could still catch on to it.
He rocked his body, knocking Naruto off his back, but the teen was quick to roll to his feet and close the window shut. He blocked it with his body and glared, chest heaving and eyes brimming with tears. He did not flinch when Kakashi bared his teeth. "Don't think you can scare me. I know you." His lower lip shivered. "You gotta stay," he begged, his voice barely heard.
Fuck. Kakashi sighed and grumbled softly, then sat back on the bed. He could not refuse Naruto, not even when it was for his own good.
Naruto was still wary, muscles tense and fists raised, so Kakashi approached him slowly, head lowered in submission, and then rubbed his forehead against the teen's trembling chest.
Naruto breathed shakily. Then, he lifted his hands and, his movements slow and hesitant, wrapped them around his head and tangled his fingers in his fur. Just as slowly, he lowered his head and kissed his mane.
Kakashi rumbled. He guided him back unto the bed and curled around him, covering him with his blanket, and Naruto burrowed into his embrace, locking his limbs around his body. "This way, you can't leave," he mumbled, nosing at his neck. "If you wanna protect me, you need to stay."
Kakashi rumbled again and licked his forehead, then rested his head on top of the teen's as he guided him closer. I will always protect you, he vowed, breathing his scent into his lungs. No matter what happens, I will keep you safe.
He surrendered to his exhaustion and fell asleep.
Notes:
Well, I bet y'all know who the anonymous Uchiha is haha Kakashi has no clue, though.
So… just killed off two more Akatsuki members, which is always fun. I am not roping all of them into this, however. Though it makes sense in an Anime, I feel like it might be a bit exhausting in a fic. Also, I prefer to write buddling romance scenes over fighting scenes, so there's that.
So… yeah. What did you guys think? I love to hear your thoughts! Y'all are seriously the best and I really appreciate your support!
Hope to see you next Friday!
