Naruto’s really outdone it this time. Kakashi rolled his eyes, looking at the blond boy lying on the ground. They'd been practicing his elemental jutsu and Naruto had overdone it. Again. The boy just doesn't know when to stop.
Kakashi crouched down next to Naruto and studied the boy. No sign of being close to releasing the Nine Tails. That’s good. The boy’s blond hair was messed up and tangled, his face, arms and bare chest scratched and bruised, and covered with dirt. I wonder if he’s actually gone home at all this week… Kakashi looked at the boy, dropped his head and sighed, then picked Naruto up and carried him, fire man style. He’s gotten bigger since the last time I had to do this. He’s really a grown ninja.
“Hey sensei!” Sakura’s chipper voice was next to him as he left the forest. “Naruto pass out again?” her voice was sterner.
“Yes, Sakura. Should I tell him you were worried?” he grinned slightly.
“No! You should tell him to stop trying to kill himself,” she blushed slightly and turned away.
Kakashi chuckled slightly to himself. He reached his apartment, Naruto still slung over one shoulder. Walking into a bath house, Kakashi noticed it was empty. Most everybody would have had their baths a while ago. Kakashi grinned a wicked plan running through his mind. He stood next to the bath and slid Naruto, feet first, into the water blow. The boy came up splashing and spluttering curses at his teacher.
“What the hell was that for?”
Kakashi sat next to the bath, well out of splashing range, reading one of his books. “You needed a bath” he shrugged.
Naruto spluttered some unintelligible response and hauled himself out of the bath, shaking like a wet dog in an attempt to splash Kakashi. The older ninja sighed and set his book then stood, walked over to Naruto and pushed him into the bath again. This time the younger ninja grabbed his arm and pulled Kakashi with him. Right before the ninja turned to smoke.
“A kage bunshin? Really Kakashi?” the impetuous ninja splashed at the real Kakashi sitting at the other end of the bath.
“If you’re trying to get me wet, you’ll have to try harder than that, Naruto. Now why don’t you wash? You smell awful,” Kakashi waved a hand in front of his nose as if he could smell the younger ninja from where he was.
Naruto growled and peeled his soaked pants off and threw them off to the side of the bath. He sunk until the water came just below his nose, pouting. Kakashi chuckled softly to himself. Or maybe he hasn’t grown much… The older ninja stood and wrapped a towel around his waist.
“Take a bath then come to my house so we can train some more,” he left Naruto in the bath, still angry, and shook his head, smiling.
- - - - -
Stupid sensei… using my tired-ness to drop me into a bath. Didn’t need a bath. He’s just mean… Naruto was walking towards Kakashi’s house, drying his hair with a towel as he walked. It’s his fault that I’m so tired. working so hard with so many kage bunshin. Not fair. He raised a hand to knock at the door just as it opened to a surprised Kakashi.
“I was just going looking for you,” said the older ninja.
Naruto scowled and threw his towel at Kakashi. It hit his mentor in the face and Naruto pushed past him to enter the house. On the small table in the center sat two bowls of ramen. Naruto looked sheepishly over his shoulder at his sensei.
“One is for you, one is for me. With how much you’ve been working, I figured you might be hungry,” Kakashi shrugged.
“Well I am!” Naruto growled and sat in front of a bowl, his glare slowly slipping into a smile.
Kakashi sat down at the bowl across from Naruto’s and pulled down his mask while he ate. The two were silent. When Kakashi finished and looked up, Naruto was slumped over his half finished bowl of ramen, snoring. Kakashi chuckled to himself, pulled his mask back into place and carried Naruto to his couch. The couch is rather small… he would probably rather sleep on a bed .He may get upset that it’s mine though…It’s not exactly the way I wanted to get someone in my bed… Kakashi sighed and carried Naruto to his bed. The older ninja lay Naruto down gently and pulled a blanket over him. He then went to his couch and sat down to read.
- - - - -
“AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!” Naruto’s scream filled the air and Kakashi sat up in the couch, drawing a kunai. Naruto burst out of Kakashi’s bedroom, tangled in a blanket, looking half asleep.
“Wha? You! Ramen! Bed! Gah!” Naruto stammered.
Kakashi chuckled. He set his kunai down on the side table and picked up his book from where it had fallen when Kakashi had finally gone to sleep. Looking out the window Kakashi guessed it was somewhere after midnight. He yawned. He didn’t remember falling asleep, but he must have. And now Naruto was awake.
“Yes, Naruto? Is there a problem?”
“Your bed! Wha?” he interrupted whatever next unintelligible phrase would be uttered with a yawn.
“You fell asleep on my table and I moved you to a bed. Is there a problem?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Uh... no…?” Naruto’s forehead creased with frustration.
“Good. Now go sit down. I’ll make… coffee… or something…” Kakashi yawned, stood, and scratched the back of his head.
“Ok,” Naruto sat, subdued, on Kakashi’s couch. “You know, you’re really weird Kakashi-sensei.”
“Oh?” Hmmm out of coffee…what kind of tea to make? He started the water boiling and set two tea bags in two separate cups.
“Yeah. You invited me over for training and I ended up eating ramen and sleeping instead.”
“Well,” Kakashi said, putting two scoops of sugar into Naruto’s cup and none in his, “Resting is just as important as training. If you don't relax then your body becomes too tense and it therefore weakens.”
“So resting is kind of like training?”
“As long as you don't do too much of one or the other, yes.”
“Oh.”
The long whistle of the tea pot filled the silence and Kakashi poured the water into both cups. He walked carefully back to the sofa and set both of them on the side table next to Naruto then sat next to his student. “They need to sit for three minutes.”
“Ok.”
The silence filled the room again. Kakashi pretended to read his book, studying his student over the top of the page. Naruto has grown. He’s no longer the clumsy, incompetent, irresponsible ninja constantly trying to impress Sakura and catch up to Sasuke. He’s smarter now, and he is calmer too. He might be even stronger than Sasuke now.
“Kakashi?”
“Yes Naruto?”
“Do you miss Sasuke?” the young ninja asked, almost as if he had read his sensei's mind.
Kakashi cocked his head to the side. This was an unexpected question. Sasuke was taboo among team 7 now. “Well of course.”
Naruto nodded and looked back to the teas.
“But…” Naruto looked back at Kakashi as the older ninja continued speaking, “I miss the whole team being together.”
“Oh. Kakashi?”
“Yes, Naruto?”
“Do you think I’ll ever pass up Sasuke?”
“Yes, Naruto. In fact I think you may even have already passed him.”
Naruto looked at Kakashi, eyes wiser than they should have been. “Really?” his voice, while his eyes seemed old, was small, like the child Kakashi had met the first time.
“Really,” he moved closer to Naruto, leaning over him and putting one hand on the other side of him.
Naruto looked up into Kakashi’s eyes. “Kakashi-sensei?” His voice halted, tumbling over the words.
“Mmm?” Wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG! Kakashi’s mind screamed at him, but he didn’t pull back.
Naruto’s hand reached up and tugged down Kakashi’s mask. The young blond arched his body towards Kakashi. Kakashi reached the hand that wasn’t holding himself up behind Naruto’s head and buried it into his student’s hair. Kakashi pulled Naruto’s head towards him, lowering his own head until their lips were nearly touching.
“Why?” Naruto’s voice was a barely audible whisper that cut into Kakashi’s mind, willing him to think.
Kakashi pressed his lips to Naruto’s and held Naruto close, pulling the boy back so Kakashi lay on the couch and Naruto lay on top of Kakashi. Naruto pressed his hands to his teacher’s chest and pushed himself away. He looked down at the man that had taught him and Sasuke. Had spent extra time teaching Sasuke. Had paid more attention to Sasuke.
“Sasuke…” Naruto whispered.
Kakashi shook his head and pulled the boy closer so his lips were next to Naruto’s ear. “Never Sasuke.” Naruto pulled back and looked into his mentor’s eyes, surprised. Kakashi pulled the boy down and kissed him again. It was too close to morning to think. In the window behind them the sun finally rose. And Naruto kissed Kakashi back.
