Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Because You Never Knew ❯ Part 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Gomen Kudasai! This is late, but it's longer than the previous chapter. Also, everything from here is kinda' sappy, so bear with me a bit ne? Don't worry, Itachi's part will be coming, so patience, patience. I want to focus on Naruto for a while so, ummm, there you go! An update!

Thank you to b4k4_girl for beta-reading this chapter! Mwah!

Enjoy!

BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNEW 6

Kakashi could literally hear his heart shatter and pain fill him. Naruto continued to stare at him with a blank expression but sad and angry eyes. Minutes ticked away, and they just stared at each other. Kakashi just couldn't make his tongue move to form words, nor could any air escape his throat for the normal breathing function.

Naruto gave him a smirk before turning away from and resuming his work. "Just as I thought."

"It's not like that!" Kakashi reasoned. "Naruto, listen to me!" He said sternly, giving Naruto his most authoritative tone.

"And do what, hmm?" Naruto asked, not bothering to look up at Kakashi. "Can't you see I have work to do Hatake-san? If Hokage-sama -"

"Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked incredulously. "Since when did you start referring to her with such formality?"

"-finds me slouching about, listening to you while getting no work done -"

"You always called her baba or baa-san!" Kakashi hissed.

"-I will lose my job. And I do not-"

"Stop it!" Kakashi finally snapped, violently pushing aside the folders in front of Naruto and holding his face inbetween his hands. "Stop! Just stop! Don't speak! Don't say a word!" Kakashi dipped his head when Naruto suddenly stiffened. "Please."

"Hatake-san."

"Stop calling me that!" Kakashi snapped again, and stared deeply in to his eyes. Just then, Tsunade entered the mission room and found Kakashi in the very position he was - cupping Naruto's face. Tsunade blinked at the sight but said nothing and took her seat. Kakashi dropped his hands and turned to look at Tsunade. "Hokage-sama, may Naruto have the day off? I understand that he just arrived yesterday. If you may allow me to spend some time with my student -"

"Of course. Go on Naruto." Tsunade said, waving her hand and motioning him to get going.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Kakashi gave Tsunade a polite bow, before taking hold of Naruto's sleeve and tugging him along.

Naruto obediently followed, but just before the door finally slid shut, he threw Tsunade his most heated glare that made her shiver.

XXX

They stood at the bridge where team seven used to gather when they were still together. Naruto was staring at the flowing water, angry and annoyed at the same time. Kakashi was standing opposite him, face sad and guilty.

"I clearly remember what you said before you left." Kakashi said.

"Really?" Naruto said, turning to face him, expression impassive.

"You never even told me where you were." Kakashi added.

"Didn't I now?"

"I'm sorry."

"Are you?"

"I should have been more -"

"Should have been."

Kakashi turned to face him, eyes filled with anger. "Why are you treating me like this? Like I hated you? Like I never cared? Like I'm worthless? Like I'm a - a monster?" He demanded. "Why?"

Naruto looked up at him, eyes growing sad. He then gave him a small smile that made Kakashi forget that he was angry. It was like the old Naruto, albeit matured. It was like a veil was lifted and his true personality was finally visible. Naruto's smiled was a sad one, but it was a smile nonetheless. He leaned against the railing of the bridge and continued to look at Kakashi.

"Ah, now you know how it feels to be me." Naruto said, turning his back to Kakashi and staring at the waters. His hand came up to his blue chuunin shirt and his fingers caressed the ring attached to the necklace Tsunade had given him years ago. "How does it feel?"

Naruto's eyes widened.

Kakashi had his arms around him, face leaning against the back of Naruto's neck. "You don't know how much I've regretted not saying anything before you left."

Naruto felt his eyes harden, but something inside him was shattering. He felt warmth surround him, like ice being chipped away by fire. He was by no means a virgin. Being with Jiraiya tended to have its side effects! He was experienced with the arts of sex, but this warmth was something he had never felt before. Like he was protected. His eyes slowly drooped closed but he snapped them open again and gently pried Kakashi's hands off him, before walking down the path towards his apartment. He needed to think.

"Naruto?"

"Leave me." He said, walking down.

"No." Kakashi appeared in front of him and grabbed him by the shoulders. "I let you slip through my fingers before, I'm not doing it again." He touched his forehead to Naruto's, and closed his eyes. "Just tell me you forgive me."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and pushed him away. "Why don't you put yourself in my shoes and then try to forgive your teacher for treating you in such a way? Think you can? I'm sorry, but it's not that easy, Hatake-san."

"Don't call me that!"

"I'm not close enough to you to call you on a first name basis." He snapped back.

"Then let me be." Kakashi whispered. "I do care Naruto."

"Do you?" Naruto asked sarcastically, eyes hardening so much it sent volts of shiver down Kakashi's spine. "Do you care? It sounds more like guilt to me."

"I am guilty!" Kakashi said, pulling his mask down. "What more can I do? Years I've waited for you to come back! Years I've tried to know where you were. Years, Naruto!"

"Six years? Maybe seven?" Naruto asked, shrugging. "I'm sorry. I can't see how that levels up to -" Naruto stopped.

"To what?" Kakashi asked, narrowing his eyes in curiosity.

"Nothing." Naruto whispered and turned away. Kakashi's face was imprinted in his mind, forever haunting him. It always was. He cared for Kakashi more than he'd ever admit to himself. Which is why when he was away, he tried to hate him, to chance his care to hate. "It's complicated."

"What is?" Kakashi asked, sounding resigned. He faced Naruto. "You don't hate me." He said, searching sky blue eyes. "You're trying to hate me."

One thing Naruto really did hate about Kakashi was that he read him like an open book. Only in the previous years, he just chose to ignore him. But when Kakashi really looked deeply, he could figure him out easily.

"Don't make this harder than it already is. Just leave me alone, Hatake-san." Naruto said in a begging tone. "Both of us will just end up getting hurt."

"I don't hate you." Kakashi said. "I thought about a lot of things. I paid Sasuke more attention than you because he was the remaining heir to the Uchihas. I too have the Sharingan, and I was the only one who could teach him its ways." Naruto said nothing to that. "But I didn't hate you. I - I was just occupied."

"And I'm just moving on. I have my own life now. I don't dwell in the past." Naruto whispered.

"Itachi is after Sasuke."

Naruto's eyes widened, fear filling his dilated pupils as his limbs trembled. All at once scenes flashed before his eyes.

A hand gripping yellow strands of hair, lips close to his ear, sneering teeth, angry eyes, hands moving down to his neck, fingers gripping his stomach area tightly, blood trickling, words haunting him.

Angry red eyes.

Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and peered at him with worry. Naruto shivered a bit and turned away. "I'm going home."

"Naruto?"

"What?" Naruto snapped.

"Do you understand what I just said?" Kakashi asked. He knew he pushing it, but that fearful look that crossed Naruto, like death was choking him and laughing at him, was something he had never before seen on Naruto's face. "Itachi is after Sasuke. They will come for him."

Naruto knew it was a lie and said nothing. He knew full well that Kakashi saw his vulnerability. He knew that Kakashi saw his weakness. "He's not after Sasuke." Naruto said, a cold gust of wind blowing against him. Like an omen. "He was never after Sasuke."

Kakashi leaned his head back, a slightly feeling of triumph coming over him. "He's after you."

Naruto turned to look at him. "You'd do well to keep away from me, Hatake-san. You're a wise man, you know what's good for you."

"Are you threatening me?" Kakashi asked, amused and slightly pissed at the idea.

"No." Naruto said, and for the first time, Kakashi saw something else glisten in Naruto's eyes. Something that he saw in Asuma's eyes when he spoke of Kurenai or when he looked at her. And it was directed towards him. "I just want you to stay alive." As he turned to walk away, Kakashi caught his wrist. Eternity would have passed and they'd still be in that position. "I want you to live." Finally, he pulled his wrist free and began walking home.

"I already am." Kakashi whispered and stared at the sky above him. "I already am, Naruto."

TBC

This is CORNY! Ugh!