Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ There's a Magic Spell in Smiles ❯ Don't Let Your Horizon Sink Out Of Sight ( Chapter 4 )

The Magic Spell in Smiles
Chapter 04: Don’t let your Horizon sink Out of Sight
By Kyuubi-kun

Kakashi looked down at the blonde student in front of him. Naruto had recomposed himself what seemed like ages ago, but neither had moved from their positions. Naruto was still curled up in front of that tree. Kakashi was still crouched in front of the Anbu captain, gently ruffling the golden locks of the boy.

Neither knew how long they stayed like this. Naruto could only think of how comforting it was. Kakashi used to ruffle his hair whenever he had done something well. Naruto would beam, and Sakura would laugh. Sasuke would…

Naruto shook his head rapidly, tears threatening once again to fall once his mind had turned to Sauske. “Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto asked, his voice a little raspy.

Kakashi smiled, his easy-going carefree smile that he had been robbed of for five years – and it was about that long since Naruto had called his name with the suffix attached.

“What is it, Naruto?” he wanted to know. His voice was kind, with the touch of concern to it. Naruto smiled softly to himself. It was the most genuine smile he had given in years, no matter how small it was.

“Was I stupid for thinking I could bring Sasuke back for all of these years?” Naruto inquired. He didn’t look up at Kakashi, but the jounin knew exactly what those sea-blue eyes looked like.

Naruto’s eyes were narrowed slightly, clouded with doubt and hesitation. He wouldn’t know if he was asking the right question. His eyes wouldn’t focus on yours, but would rather focus a little bit above yours, so that he could make it seem as though he were making eye contact but he would never let you catch his eye.

“Nope,” Kakashi answered without even taking a minute to think about it. “You weren’t stupid at all, Naruto. It shows that you have strength.”

Naruto looked up at Kakashi, a spark of hope in his eyes. “Really?” he asked. He didn’t even care to wonder why Kakashi was the only person who was able to revert him back to the time which he could not escape. Not even Iruka was able to make the old Naruto come out.

Maybe it was because Kakashi hadn’t left that time either – maybe it was because both of them lived for the past rather than the future.

“Really,” Kakashi replied in a kind voice.

Sasuke would sit there and smirk, calling me ‘dobe’ or something along those lines, the blonde thought to himself, finishing his earlier thought about the old times when Kakashi petted his hair. But it was fun, when it was just the four of us. It was great. We each have such different personalities that to see us all get along like that... it was fun. He felt a warm, fuzzy, content feeling entering his chest as he thought these words.

And Naruto smiled.

His smile was a real smile, a broad grin that seemed to beam light at any who saw it. This was the grin that Uzumaki Naruto was famous for. It was the same grin that could hardly be brought out of the blonde anymore.

“Dammit,” Naruto grumbled, looking at his watch. He grinned at Kakashi as he stood up and put his mask back on. “I have Baa-chan’s Anbu captain meeting to get to or else she’ll demote me.”

Kakashi nodded, knowing that the meeting was scheduled, even though he was only a jounin. After all, he had to know Naruto’s schedule in order to effectively shadow the blonde.

“All right, I’ll see you later,” Kakashi said to his ex-student.

“I suppose,” came the boy’s reply. He turned to Kakashi and grinned. The jounin could not see the smile, but he could feel it. The waves of relief that were washing over him came from the younger version of the fox-boy that was standing in front of him, peeking out of the shell that the Uzumaki had become.

“Don’t worry about me, Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto assured the jounin. “Pretty soon, everything will be over.”

Kakashi felt a flash of warning go off in his head at these words. “You’re not going to commit-” he began.

Naruto waved his hands, effectively cutting off the older man. “Nothing like that, Kakashi,” he said. Looking towards the skies, his voice gained a wistful tone. “Sasuke’s coming home soon. I don’t know if it will be a grand finale for us or a new beginning. Nobody knows, but I think I’m just happy to be able to see him one more time.”

“One more time?” Kakashi repeated, wondering what the hidden meaning of the blonde’s words were.

“I don’t think I’m going to live much longer, Kakashi,” Naruto told the silver-haired teacher, though he wouldn’t look at the jounin. His head was titled towards the skies, letting the sunshine that filtered through the canopy to dance lightly upon his open face. “Don’t tell anyone I said that. I’ve given my life to Sasuke too much. If you come to my apartment after the Anbu meeting, I’ll explain to you what I mean. You’ll be the only person who knows.”

With that said, the boy disappeared. In his wake was a stunned teacher who could do nothing but go to his ex-student’s apartment and wait for the meeting to reach a conclusion.

Preview for Chapter 5: Through this Terrible Plight

They were a remarkable bunch. After the first Chuunin exam, the eight people before her had worked diligently so that they would be able to become what they were as of now. They were ninja – true ninja. Although they may have been unreliable and cocky in their youth, these men and women knew the joy of victory as well as the pain of defeat. They were loyal to Konoha and no other. She knew that they would give their lives to protect their home.