Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Duality ❯ A Crazy Little Thing Called Love ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter Twelve: A Crazy Little Thing Called Love

It did not take long for news of recent events to spread throughout the village. It moved at the rate of a brush fire during a summer heat wave. It was actually rather frightening in some respects; especially the reaction it garnered from people they knew.

“If your friends threaten me one more time not to hurt you, I’ll kill them, I swear to fucking god,” Sasuke seethed as they walked down the street. They were suddenly Naruto’s friends and not his, though he could not say this was a new development. He had been gone for three years.

Naruto was pretty shell-shocked by the ordeal. “I really don’t know what’s up with them…”

Sasuke snorted. “They love you.”

Kiba, Shino, and Hinata had been first.

“Naruto maybe a loudmouth, hyperactive brat,” Kiba had said, “but he’s sorta my friend, and if you hurt him again I’ll kick your ass.” Akamaru had barked in agreement.

“I second that sentiment,” Shino added in his calm fashion.

Hinata’s voice had been surprisingly firm when she stepped forward and said, “Uchiha-san. Naruto-kun is a very kind, strong person and you should appreciate him every moment you’re with him. If you don’t, I will not forgive you either.” She loved Naruto very much and wanted to see him happy no matter what.

Neji had been downright scary. He’d gotten right in Sasuke’s face to threaten him. “Hurt him and die. That’s your only warning.”

Jiraiya was suspicious of Sasuke still, even though this proved what Kakashi had told him earlier—that Sasuke was different than Orochimaru in that he was capable of loving someone. “Hurt him again and you’ll learn a new definition of pain. I was saving it for your master, but I don’t mind at all teaching you.”

Sasuke couldn’t even bring himself to be angry really. Irritated, hell yes, but not angry. No one bothered to threaten Naruto. Not even Ino, though she had expressed her displeasure at “losing Sasuke” to the blond ninja.

“Still…” Naruto wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be flattered or irritated by all of this. “They could have a bit more faith in you at least.”

“Why should they?” Sasuke responded airily. “I’ve given people very few reasons to trust me.”

“You came back!”

Sasuke sighed. “They’ll get over it eventually. Now, to the matter at hand, I wonder what the Hokage wants.” She probably wants to threaten me like everyone else, Sasuke thought exasperatedly.

Naruto walked with his hands folded behind his head. “Maybe there’s news on Kain?”

“No. If so everyone would have been called over.”

“Oh. Yeah, that’s true.”

They headed toward the Hokage tower, the streets of Konoha bustling with its usual life. That morning they were visited by an aide that had been sent straight from Tsunade, saying that she wanted to meet with Sasuke. The messenger hadn’t said why.

“You think Kakashi-sensei’s mad at us?” Naruto asked after a moment.

“I really don’t know,” Sasuke answered honestly. It was something he had been wondering about himself. Since they had become.... lovers (boyfriends? They hadn’t really settled on a term), and even before then, Kakashi had been looking at them differently. “Maybe he himself doesn’t know how he feels,” he added thoughtfully. There wasn’t anger behind Kakashi’s expression, though it was hard to tell with his mask and Sasuke couldn’t say he knew for sure.

“Mm.” Naruto didn’t know why, but he wanted Kakashi’s approval of their relationship. It bothered him that maybe Kakashi was displeased with them.

Sasuke glanced at him and saw the blond’s troubled expression. It compelled him to attempt to be supportive. “Don’t let it bother you. Whatever it is, Kakashi’s not liable to stay silent about it for very long.”

“Yeah. I guess so.” Naruto still looked uneasy, but he gave Sasuke a smile all the same.

As they entered her office, Tsunade stood up and smiled invitingly. “Naruto, Sasuke. Thank you for coming so quickly.”

“What’s going on, Baa-chan?” Naruto asked, curious that there was no note of urgency in Tsunade’s speech. Perhaps Sasuke was right after all and it had nothing to do with Kain?

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Tsuande said, ruffling his hair affectionately. “Naruto, can you wait in here with Shizune? I need to speak to Sasuke alone.”

Even more confused, Naruto managed a nod. “Sure…” He looked at his lover to see Sasuke’s eyes hardening in suspicion. He watched them walk outside to the balcony before turning to Shizune. “What’s going on?”

Shizune smiled. “I wouldn’t worry about it, Naruto.”

“People keep telling me that,” Naruto said sourly, sitting on Tsunade’s desk and crossing his arms and legs. “It only makes me more worried.”

“Especially when Sasuke is concerned?” Shizune asked, her eyes gleaming mischievously.

Naruto flushed. “You heard too?”

The woman smiled. “Who hasn’t? People are going to be talking about this for months. You’re both quite the celebrities, you know.”

Naruto’s flush deepened. “I think Sasuke’s right and people should just mind their own business…”

Shizune giggled. She had been fond of Naruto since they’d met and she was one of the few people that knew how exactly Tsunade thought of the boy. Not even Jiraiya knew completely about Tsunade’s hopes for Naruto.

It was a very closely kept secret.

-

Tsunade remembered the day Sasuke had returned. The Uchiha had been wearing the remnants of clothing like that which Orochimaru had always worn, only torn and bloody from fighting. He and Naruto had barely been alive. Sakura had done all she could for them and Tsunade knew if she hadn’t been there to do the initial healing, neither boy would have made the trip back to the village. Sasuke, though, had been slightly better off than Naruto. He’d been conscious.

She couldn’t believe the story Sakura told her of how Sasuke had been ready to kill Naruto, then surprised them all in the last second by turning his attack on his master—former master now. Tsunade remembered looking down at the boy as he was treated by medic-nin, assessing the blank look in his eyes and wondering if the fifteen ANBU stationed in the hospital would be enough. Naruto was in the next room being treated as well. She would’ve rather been in there helping with the blond boy’s injuries, but she was obligated to do her duty first and foremost.

“Is he alright?” Sasuke had asked in a surprisingly steady voice in his critical condition.

Tsunade hadn’t understood the question. “Orochimaru?”

Sasuke had glared. “No. The idiot.”

That surprised her. “His condition is stable, for the moment.”

Seemingly reassured, Sasuke had promptly passed out from the blood loss.

The present Sasuke stood a few feet away, leaning forward against the railing and looking over the village he had abandoned three years ago. The angry avenger from then and the one standing before her now were almost two different people. Though perhaps not entirely trustworthy, but the Third had given Anko another chance, and Tsunade felt she should do the same for Sasuke.

Tsunade remembered the news Shizune had brought to her earlier—that Naruto and Sasuke were now a couple—and the idea it had given her. The plans she had wouldn’t succeed unless she had someone else working beside the scenes. That someone needed to be close to Naruto.

“What’s this about?” Sasuke asked abruptly. He was irritated at being stared at.

Tsunade evaded the question for the moment and asked one of her own. “Do you know the necklace Naruto wears?”

Sasuke blinked at her, confused at the subject change. “The blue one? Yeah. He never takes it off.”

Tsunade smiled at that. It pleased her that the gift meant so much to Naruto. “I gave him that when we met. It was my grandfather’s.”

The Uchiha’s eyes widened. The First Hokage?! “He never told me that,” he confessed.

“You should ask him about it sometime.” Tsunade paused, turning to look out over the village. “… I’ve given that necklace to two other people before. My brother and my lover, both for the same reason—because they told me that one day they would become Hokage.” She glanced back to see that her words had garnered another surprised reaction from Sasuke. “And I believed them. I believed they could do it.” It was painful to speak of this, but she felt she needed Sasuke to understand her motives. “Do you understand why I’m telling you this?”

Slowly, Sasuke nodded as his mind processed the Fifth’s confession. “You plan to name Naruto your successor.”

Tsunade nodded, confirming his thoughts.

Sasuke looked away. The first day they had met, Naruto had proclaimed that one day he would become Hokage. It had continued to be his dream all these years later. Little did he know how close he was to accomplishing his goal, how near it was to his grasp, and Sasuke felt a sharp stab of jealousy. Naruto’s dream would come true, but what about his own goal? Itachi would die; he had sacrificed too much to not accomplish it now. But… why did these things have to be so much easier for Naruto?

Sasuke forced the emotion away, banishing it with anger. What right did he have to think Naruto had it easy? He knew how hard Naruto had worked. If anyone had taken the easier route, it was himself, and the price he had paid was more than the burn on his neck. And Naruto, though he didn’t agree with it necessarily, supported Sasuke’s ambition as long as he came back home safely. If Sasuke truly felt as he did for the blond, then shouldn’t he do the same in turn?

Was he even capable of it, or were all of Naruto’s friends right about him? Did Sasuke carry inside the seeds to his own destructive downfall?

No. That was in the past. Orochimaru was dead and one day Itachi would be too, then it would be over. Then he could live some kind of life with Naruto. He wouldn’t repeat what he had done in the Valley of the End ever again.

Tsunade continued speaking as he thought. “He is nowhere near ready yet however.”

That surprised Sasuke. “You mean he’s not strong enough?” It seemed impossible to comprehend. Naruto had become so much stronger than three years ago. He and the blond were evenly matched.

The blonde woman shook her head. “Not quite. If strength alone was a requirement, then Sarutobi-sensei would have made Orochimaru the Fourth Hokage, not Naruto and Sekai’s father. There’s more to being Hokage than merely strength. Naruto has the right spirit that’s needed for the role and in that he will always beat out any candidate the elders would see chosen. My greatest fear, though, is that Naruto will not be ready psychologically or emotionally for the task of leadership.” She smiled at Sasuke. “That is why I’m telling you this. I’m preparing things on my end, but there are other things that need to be done that I can’t.”

“I don’t understand,” Sasuke said. “What can I do for him?”

“Naruto has always had the rash habit of running into things without thinking. He figures things out eventually, and that’s okay in a fight but not always so on a diplomatic level. There is no role more uncertain and alone than that of a leader. I fear for Naruto.”

She doesn’t want him to be alone, Sasuke realized. She doesn’t know if she’ll always be there to help him.

“Naruto needs you. You know him better than anyone, I think, right?” Tsunade smiled at Sasuke gently. It didn’t take a genius to see how much Sasuke had changed and how much Naruto was responsible for that. “In his darkest moment—and it will come—he will need you there beside him to remind him of what he’s fighting for. You must be his strength when he has none left. You must protect him when he can no longer protect himself.”

Sasuke understood what he was being asked. It wasn’t that Tsunade didn’t have faith in Naruto’s abilities. She just wanted to be sure someone would always be there to watch his back and support him. But Tsunade could have asked any and all of Naruto’s friends to do that. Sasuke was different than the rest of them though.

Naruto and I are the same. We have known the same loneliness. But Naruto can shine in the sunlight. I can protect him from the darkness.

Tsunade grinned. “So, do you think you have room in your busy revenge schedule for what I’m proposing?”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “I probably would have ended up doing it even if you hadn’t.”

She chuckled warmly. “Good to hear. Now that that’s settled, I also wanted to tell you that no one can know about this for some time. If the elders found out my plans they would seek to stop me.”

Sasuke frowned. “They can’t make you change your mind. Your successor is your choice.”

“A lot has been happening since you left. The elders know already I have a fondness for Naruto. They don’t trust him because he’s the container for the Kyuubi. That’s all the fossils will ever see him as,” she explained fiercely.

All of a sudden, Sasuke felt he understood Tsunade completely just from seeing her anger and protectiveness of Naruto. She would do anything she could for him, and Sasuke was the same way. This, too, was why she’d asked this of him.

“I won’t tell,” Sasuke promised.

Tsunade looked him in the eye firmly. “Not even Naruto. It’s too soon for him to know yet.”

Sasuke nodded. “I understand… But why do you trust me? How do you know for certain I don’t mean to betray everyone again?”

“I think that if you were going to leave, you would have done it already.” Tsunade smiled. “I’ve never known you to be a very patient person. You’re like Naruto in that way too.”

Sasuke snorted, knowing this was true.

-

Sakura was the first to enter to the Yamanaka flower shop and Ino could immediately tell that the pink-haired girl was angry.

“I didn’t mean for you to tell the whole village!” Sakura cried. “Everyone that we know keeps threatening Sasuke-kun!”

Ino smirked. “You always underestimated the speed of my information network.”

Sakura glared. “I still knew they were a couple before you did! How’s that for speed?”

Ino’s expression fell as the reality of their situation came upon her again. “I guess I won’t need it anymore,” she noted, sighing loudly. She glanced back at Sakura. “If you hadn’t wanted me to tell anyone, you shouldn’t have told me in the first place.”

“I thought you should know!”

Ino glanced over Sakura’s shoulder and saw that the other kunoichi had been followed in by Sai, Yume, and Sekai. The small blind girl was riding on the cross-dressing blond boy’s back, and Sekai was leaning down to look at some violets. Sai noticed Ino’s inquisitive stare and smiled at her politely.

Ino waved before sighing again and plopping forward onto the counter. “Sheesh. I’m still in shock! I thought I had to fight you for Sasuke-kun. I never expected that I should have been battling Naruto instead!”

“Does that bother you? That they’re gay?” Sakura asked cautiously.

The blond girl bit her lip. “I don’t know. I mean, Shikamaru and Chouji both said that they expected this to happen. Expected! How could they expect it? It’s not like Sasuke-kun has ever acted very gay.”

Ino was interrupted as Sekai broke out into hysteric laughter. He coughed and collected himself quickly after noticing he’d gotten both girls’ attention. “Er, excuse me. Ahem.”

Ino flushed, feeling foolish. Was she really the only one who hadn’t noticed? “I’m not homophobic or anything. I’m just surprised, that’s all. I mean, the way those two fight!”

“Foreplay,” Sai, Sekai, and Yume commented in unison.

Sakura blushed. “Well, I kind of suspected, but I didn’t know for certain. Personally, it seems… right this way. For them to be together, I mean.”

“Hmm. I guess.” Ino sighed again.

Sakura patted her shoulder. “It’s not the end of the world.”

“Don’t say there are other fish in the sea. My mother’s been saying that all morning!”

“Well, it’s true.” Sakura shrugged.

“Yeah…” Ino’s eyes fell on Sai again. He did look an awful lot like Sasuke. “Yeah, you might be right.”

Sakura noticed the direction of her gaze. “Um, there’s something else I need to tell you too.” She leaned forward and whispered quickly into Ino’s ear.

Ino gaped. “Geez, them too? Is it contagious?!”

Sai and Sekai blinked at her, confused. Yume giggled.

-

Iruka was erasing that day’s lessons off the chalkboard as he heard familiar voices coming from outside his classroom. The bickering made him smile.

“Using the door is more polite,” Sasuke was saying.

“But the window is faster! We had to walk down three hallways just to get here!” Naruto argued. The sour look on his face brightened when he entered and caught sight of their academy teacher. “Hi, Iruka-sensei!” Sasuke nodded a silent greeting as he came in after him.

“Hello, you two,” Iruka answered. “Sekai-kun isn’t with you?”

“Nah, he’s with Sai,” Naruto told him.

“Thank god,” Sasuke muttered under his breath.

Naruto glared. “Sasuke!”

“I didn’t say anything,” the Uchiha said defensively.

Naruto rolled his eyes. “And don’t think I forgot about you not telling me what that meeting was about.”

“I did tell you,” Sasuke argued. “She was only checking up on me, that’s all.”

“You’re lying!” Naruto accused.

“Hey, hey,” Iruka interrupted, his easy-going manner breaking through the squabbling. “I’d thought you two were getting along now.”

Naruto flushed deeply. “You… heard about that?”

Iruka smiled. “Who hasn’t? Actually, Kakashi-sensei came and talked to me about it.”

“Really? Why? Did he seem mad?”

The older man blinked. “No, not mad… Perhaps confused. I really shouldn’t say more until he’s ready to tell you himself.”

Naruto frowned, troubled by this news. Well, at least Kakashi wasn’t mad at them. If Iruka said he wasn’t then Naruto believed him.

“Did you come for something in particular?” Iruka asked.

Naruto smiled a little. “No, I just haven’t seen you in a while.”

“So you were wondering if I wanted to treat you to ramen?” Iruka finished with a knowing smile.

Naruto laughed sheepishly. “Yeah!”

Iruka glanced at Sasuke. The Uchiha was looking at Naruto with a seemingly blank stare, but his eyes were perceptively softened—not just from a month ago but from when he was a child as well. Sasuke, while extremely gifted, had dealt with his sorrow and loneliness by becoming cold and introverted. He had always been calm with anger simmering just bellow the surface, but after his time with Orochimaru, Sasuke had become downright scary. It was as much because of that as his betrayal that people continued to distrust him. Most likely, it would take years before things would get easier for Sasuke, and even then, it could never go back to how it was before. Trust, once lost, was not easily regained.

But seeing that softness in his eyes was encouraging.

Sasuke caught his stare. “You’re going to threaten me now too, aren’t you?” he guessed.

Iruka couldn’t help but smile. “Have people been threatening you? They’re brave enough to face your wrath?”

Sasuke snorted.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. “I don’t know what the fuss is all about… I mean, yeah, we’re dating now, but why’s everyone making a big deal about it?”

“You’ve both become an interest to people,” Iruka noted thoughtfully. “Though Sasuke’s always garnered interest amongst the villagers. Remember the reaction at the Chuunin exam? How everyone was looking forward to his fight with Gaara of the Sand?”

Naruto nodded slowly. “Yeah…”

“And now with the rumors of you surpassing your father, Naruto, it’s no wonder you’ve become quite the celebrity too,” Iruka added with a warm smile. “So, I suppose the two of you getting together can be equated to a royal marriage.”

Naruto blushed brightly. “… Marriage?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “We’re sixteen, idiot.”

“Yes, I hope you two spend more time together before jumping into a marriage,” Iruka joked lightly.

“Marriage?” Naruto squeaked.

Sasuke sighed and looked at Iruka frustratingly. “You broke his brain.”

Iruka giggled.

Naruto blinked as something suddenly occurred to him. “So, you’re okay with all this, Iruka-sensei?”

Iruka rubbed his chin. “Well… I’ve known you both for a long time, and even though I’ve become an outsider looking in since you graduated, I haven’t stopped looking. I know that the two of you, though different on the outside, are very much the same. I also know how much the two of you inspired each other to become stronger.” The man smiled gently at Sasuke. “And I believe everyone deserves a second chance.”

Sasuke could have killed Naruto. Iruka was well aware of that, from the things Kakashi had told him. But instead, Sasuke had joined forces with Naruto and destroyed one of Konoha’s most powerful enemies. He had allowed Naruto to bring him home and he’d stayed. Perhaps, like Naruto, Iruka was too trusting, but he was willing to give Sasuke the benefit of a doubt.

Sasuke was confused. So he’s not going to threaten me? Sasuke knew very well that Iruka and Naruto thought of each other as father and son. If anyone had the right to be suspicious, it was the academy teacher. Instead, he appeared to be completely accepting.

Iruka put his hand on Naruto’s shoulder. “Now, how about that ramen?”

“Yeah!” Naruto cheered and headed toward the exit.

Sasuke grabbed the collar of his jacket easily before he could reach the window. “This way, idiot.”

Naruto pouted. “Bastard…”

Iruka giggled at their antics all the way to Ichiraku’s.

-

Kakashi knew he was not supposed to be on his own, but he needed to think about things without Gai, Yamato, or anyone else around. Or maybe he just needed someone to talk to who wouldn’t remind him constantly that Naruto and Sasuke’s relationship was inevitable. He knew that already. None of them seemed to appreciate his confusion.

So Kakashi went to find the seediest bar there was in Konoha.

The bartender looked up as the masked man sat down in front of him. “The usual, Kakashi-san?”

Kakashi nodded and watched blankly as his drink was prepared and served. He gulped down nearly half the glass before another man a few barstools away caught his attention. The man was in his mid-twenties, wearing a loose blue kimono, with his long brown hair draped uncaringly over his shoulders and down his back like a shawl. There were several sake bottles in front of him.

“Another, please,” the man said in a smooth, quiet voice.

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough, sir?” the bartender asked, concerned.

The man looked up to glare, some of his hair moving out of his face and revealing that, even though he was incredibly drunk, he was still very attractive. “You get more money if I continue drinking, right? So why do you care?”

Kakashi couldn’t help but be amused. “But if you die of alcohol poisoning then you won’t be able to come back for more drinks another time.”

Saburo blinked slowly at the gray-haired ninja, noticing his presence for the first time. “Good point.” He smiled a little at the bartender. “Don’t worry. I know my limit, and I’m no where near it yet.”

Kakashi looked at the sake bottles and raised an eyebrow. “You’re sure of that?”

Saburo laughed softly. “I’ve had plenty enough experience, believe me.” He sighed and refilled his cup gratefully. “So, what’s your story?” he asked the ninja. “Drowning your sorrows, or just in for a night cap?”

Kakashi shrugged evasively. “Maybe a little of both.”

“Ah, a secretive man.”

“You look like you have a few secrets yourself,” Kakashi pointed out.

Saburo smiled. “Nothing I wouldn’t divulge if I was drunk enough.”

“Are you?”

“Maybe. What do you want to know?”

Kakashi was mildly curious by this man. He didn’t know why. “Well… I’ll turn your earlier question back on you: are you here drowning your sorrows or just for pleasure?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Saburo asked mock-brightly. “Drowning!”

“I tried to get him to talk about it,” the bartender whispered to Kakashi. “He blew me off.”

Saburo waved dismissively at him. “I’ll tell you what. If you,” he pointed at Kakashi, “tell me why you’re here, I’ll tell you my sob story. I’ll even go first if you like.” Saburo had always liked truth and dare as a child. He remembered it was one of the frequent games he’d played with his sister; it was a vague memory, one of the few he still had of the time before Kain had taken him away from his village.

Kakashi sipped his drink and thought about the offer. This was what he’d wanted, right? Someone to talk to who wouldn’t judge him? It wasn’t like he’d see this man again, or that he’d tell anyone he knew. Eventually he shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

“Excellent,” Saburo said. “I’ll go first, if you like?”

Kakashi nodded. “Please.” He almost hoped the man’s story would be worse than his own.

Saburo gazed down into his glass, collecting his thoughts. He couldn’t name names, of course, but he could speak generally. “At a young age I was taken into the service of my master. He thought I had potential and that I could be of use to him. As I grew older, I began to accept my life and even came to love him.” He smiled self-deprecatingly. “Unfortunately, all my master really cares about is power. He even slept with me as an extension of his power over me.”

Kakashi assumed that by “master” the young man meant that he was in service in the household of a feudal lord. It wasn’t unheard of for them to be greedy and to sleep around with their servants.

Saburo went on. “My… little brother recently ran away from home and made his greatest dream come true. My master is furious. I am… jealous. That he found freedom and happiness. That he has dreams. It’s… been a long time since I had dreams. All I have is one wish.”

“Wish?” Kakashi echoed.

“I wish… that I could believe in love as much as my little brother.” Saburo smiled sadly. No matter how much he had suffered, Sekai hadn’t given up on love. He had fought to be with Naruto and his friends. He had made it happen.

Kakashi could sympathize. “It has been a long time since I’ve believed in love.”

Saburo glanced at the masked man. “Oh?”

The man had spilled what was most likely a painful subject, so Kakashi felt he should do the same—after getting a second drink. “I… lost my best friend a long time ago. Since then, it’s been hard for me to grow attached to people—to trust them again. Until I got my own students, that is. It took a while, but the three of them grew on me, even the most annoying one. He and the most talented one were rivals from the start. They’ve… been fighting for a long time, but now they’ve become best friends.

“They’ve started sleeping together too.” Kakashi shrugged. “Everyone tells me I should be happy that they’ve finally found happiness; and that being together will keep them from blowing up the village—hopefully. But really… I’m a little jealous of them. I wonder if maybe the same would have happened if my friend hadn’t died.”

Saburo smiled at Kakashi thoughtfully. The story didn’t at all sound familiar. “You’re very lucky.”

Kakashi blinked at him. “Huh?”

“You have loved and lost, and have been able to love again,” Saburo pointed out. “Those three students, you love them very much, right?”

Kakashi nodded slowly. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

“Then you should focus on that. I won’t tell you to put aside your regrets. I’m not quite that much of a hypocrite. It just seems to me that, even with your losses, you still have a lot to be grateful for.”

Kakashi thought about that. He had lost Obito, Rin, and the Fourth, but he still had Naruto and Sakura—and he had gotten Sasuke back when he had seemed too far gone for redemption. He even had a few other friends, like Gai and Yamato. Sekai, Yume, and Sai as well, if he was being honest with himself. He supposed that, as the man said, he still had a lot to be grateful for.

Saburo glanced at the clock on the wall. “Hmm. I suppose I should be getting back. The old man is waiting for me.” He waved at the ninja before sliding off his seat gingerly, paying the bartender for his drinks—and Kakashi’s. “My thanks,” he told him. “For listening.”

Kakashi found himself smiling. “I’m the one that should be thanking you. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

Saburo smiled back. “You seem like a smart guy. You would have figured it out eventually.” He prepared to head for the door.

“Oi,” Kakashi called, stopping him. “Don’t let yourself be pushed around by that guy anymore. You’re too pretty for that.”

Saburo’s felt his smile becoming more real. It had been a long time since he had been flattered. He surprised the ninja, and himself, by leaning in to kiss his cheek. “For the compliment,” he explained, and left. (1)

Kakashi stared after him for a long time.

TBC.

1. Sekai got his flirtatiousness somewhere. =P

Due to recent chapters (143-145 and on) this fic is no longer following along with canon. While I was right about Sasuke turning against Orochimaru, I was wrong about when and how it would happen. =P I like my ideas well enough not to go back and make the necessary corrections. *shrug* Just wanted to make note of it.