Ding-dong.


Not again. Gathering himself up, Kakashi picked himself off the floor where he was sitting and went to the door. Who ever heard of a elite jounin being harassed? Usually it was a direct attack and there was murder involved of one party. In this situation, it was more an isolation method intent to wear him down and he was caving in. It had started while he came back from his missions. He thought he was delusionizing it until 1 of the unfathomable days, he found himself cleaned, bandaged, and laying comfortably in his bed. It blew him away and left some psycological damage that someone was able to override his defenses that much and get too close for comfort. It appeared the party commited no act of violence on their end, but if there was no memory of the incident while it was being committed, he wasn't so sure. He knew he was in trouble but there was no one to turn too.

Tsunade will think he finally snapped and pull him off all missions. Not that he would mind but there was also the possibilty she would increase them. Get some use of him before he permentantly is of no availability. Not as a shinobi or teacher.

As he turned the door knob, Kakashi pulled out a kunai from his back pouch and gripped it in his gloved hand, the inside of his palm sweating. Maybe at last he'll know who it is.

Opening the front door just a fraction at a time, a burst of energy was felt on the other side and his eye widened by the suddeness of it. He found himself tilting back, feet buckling underneath him, before he hit his head on the back of the floor. Lights out.

When he came too, the ceiling entered his eye and he releazed the air had been knocked out of him. Geez, must be getting old, he thought disdainfully to himself. Looking up, Kakashi's brow crinkled in deep thought. It was Naruto whom had jumped on him and was now sitting on his chest. Grinning down at him and wrapping his legs around his waist as he hung over him.
"Naruto?" he called out, uncertain. Thinking maybe he was imagining his young student as he shouldn't be back from his journey yet.

The boy just grinned further down at him and brought his face closer to his own masked one. Staring at him like he could see right through him.

The slip of his lips turned more studious under his mask as time clicked by from Naruto's lack of reply. It unnerved him that a boy Naruto's age could do that, but it may also be because he possed innocence still from not killing a man yet.


In the background he heard another voice. It was very familiar.

Jiraiya.

So he wasn't dreaming. Imagine that.

There was a slight knock but than Jiraiya barged into his room, seeing that the door was already opened a crack and had enough decency to look surprised at whom occupied the floor.

"Huh, here already?" the white haired frog sennin said, peering at his young protege dutifully lying on Kakashi's chest as though on guard. One white brow cocked up in disbelief, "I had wondered where he went to, running off and smiling like a buffoon. I lost track of him but as I followed his chakra trail I knew where he was going," he said to Kakashi, whom listened intently.

Kakashi didn't know what to say to that. He didn't even sense their arrival back into the village with his Sharingan eye, he thought, troublesomely.

"Which reminds me," laughed Jiraiya posing like a certain childhood rival he knew, "Sorry to drop by unannounced but could we stay here for a couple of days.
Don't want them to know were back just yet."

Kakashi's eye turned over as the older man said this. Absolutely not. Not with the nightmares haunting him and of the mind game he's being put to the test with. "Sure." He cursed to himself as he automatically answered. How was he going to hide this now? If not the sennin, Naruto will sniff him out.

His night just got worser.


"Hmm," Jiraiya looked thoughtfully at Kakashi and dropped a goofy grin himself, "the brat missed you."

Like that explained everything why they came here first and not at Iruka-sensei's apartment, where the boy usually ran off to when coming home from a mission, thought Kakashi wryly to himself.

He watched dumbfoundly as Jiraiya pulled his protege off him and when Naruto rubbed the back of his head embarrassingly. After moving his student aside, Jiraiya had offered him a helping hand up and he took it, dazed and confused still, trying to recollect. Naruto was back, he thought a bit troubled but still glad for the extra company. It was just half a year ago that he was thinking of everyone. Time sure moved along quickly.

"Kakashi," Hmm? Kakashi turned his head to stare at the boy, both brows high in the air. Usually, Naruto referred to him as Kakashi-sensei or Master Kakashi. Of course, they both meant the same thing but it was different with his pupil calling his first name only. Unsure and tinged with youthful shyness.

He directed all his attention to his former pupil, his uncovered blue-grey eye softening. There was also something in Naruto's voice he picked up but it didn't matter now. What mattered now was paying attention to his former pupil who had left 2 1/2 years ago in search of more strength to bring Sasuke home.

His heart tugged as an image of the raven-haired boy with the Sharingan eyes identical of his one own crept into his head and was startled when Naruto put his hand on his arm, unnoticeably. "Did we catch you at a bad time?" he asked, fox-shaped eyes hooded in guilt and concern of his sensei.

"Iie," Kakashi found himself saying. Hai, his mind whispered sorrowfully contradicting what his former pupil asked of him.

"Well then," Naruto seemed to brighten and yelled out in a bouyous voice,"how about we get something to eat. I'm starved!"

At that very moment, the blond haired boys stomach started to rumble in agreedness.

Despite the way he felt, Kakashi found his lips underneath his mask tugging up and he chuckled heartly as Naruto's cheeks reddened and he held a hand over his stomach, to silence it.

Jiraiya watched on amused, "Hmph. That's not much, I had to hear it all the way home. Brat, should of ate when I told him too but you know how the young are, right Kakashi?" the frog-sennin looked over to Kakashi and his grin turned feral.

Kakashi numbly nodded his head in agreement as what Jiraiya was saying and covered his laugh with his gloved hand to his masked mouth.

Naruto joined in on the fun and pushed at him playfully, grabbing his arms in a play-wrestle match.

Kakashi allowed the boy to do so, as he felt a warm feeling overpower him. He sunk back on the floor from his elbows and brought Naruto with him with a swipe of his arm, bringing him to his chest and shoulder to hold.

Naruto was a bit surprised at first, not seeing this side of his former sensei but accepted it gently as he was pulled into the hug. He settled in Kakashi's arms and was glad they decided to comeback.

Kakashi was good as their's, as he thought of Sasuke, his raven-haired lover, as he snuggled into his former sensei's welcoming warmth.


Jiraiya looked on interested, his face full of leftover flavored noodles with vegetables that had been prepared for him when he made a pit-stop at the Ichiraku restaurant before going back on his students trail. He couldn't contain his hunger like Naruto and while they were 'reuniting' he had rummaged through his shoulder bag of belongings and took out the steamed container, along with chopsticks, opened it and dug in. Knowing that coming home was the wisest decision he made since leaving in the first place with the boy attached to his side for more explorable training.

As for Kakashi, he too was surprised by his own behavior as he showed this open affection as he playfully wrestled with his former pupil after the brief hug.

He allowed Naruto to pin him down as the winner and looked up into his pupils blue fox like eyes. The playfullness was gone and they were serious now. Holding a fire deep inside.

Kakashi blinked, tooken aback, but relaxed as the boys eyes switched back to being innocent and wondered what it could of mean.




To be continued,...




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