“I know it's hard to tell, but I bet he does care, and notice.”
“Huh?” Naruto looked at her sensei in confusion. Did he not hate her?
“I mean he’s literally putting his hand through your chest. I think it's safe to say he notices you.” he smiled at the girl. Maybe it wasn't ‘careful’ to joke about her crush on sasuke, but he'd never been good at these kinds of situations.
Naruto looked at her sensei in shock, relief, and despair. He didn't get it. He thought it was someone else. “Who are you talking about sensei?”
Kakashi furrowed his brows, Naruto was genuinely confused.she wasn't faking. This was worrying. Has Kakashi gotten it wrong all these years?
“Well I thought you liked Sasuke,” he said febly. Finally putting down the book on the armrest of the couch. Giving his student his undivided attention.
She felt as if she could explode. Kakashi had thought that she liked the teme instead of him? Sasuke was her best friend, but that was mainly because she could be herself when she was younger around him and vice versa. She had told him her secrets, and he told her his. And one of the first to come out was one of her finding Kakashi-sensei really cute. Then on the wave mission, when he was fighting to protect them on the road, her whole world tilted.
Since then she had been in love with her sensei, and the only people who knew was Sasuke, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Sakura. Jiraya had found out when he was asking about her taste in men. Tsunade had found out when Naruto had come to ask her for advice on getting over love. Sakura had learned by watching and thinking. After one mission she had pulled Naruto aside and said if there was anything she could do she would. Naruto was grateful, but had thought nothing could be done.
He was Kakashi. Amazing. Powerful. Kind. Sexy. He was so much better than her in so many ways. There had been a reason when he took office she had, for once, not complained. It was Kakashi, of course he would become Hokage before her.
Now it was different. She was Hokage. She was a ninja. She was the hero of the world. She was an author of a series that was widely loved and known. Everyone now loved her. No one could call her a demon, not anymore.
‘Just go and mate him already.’
Naruto didn't know what kurama meant. But all she knew was that she was tired. Tired of lying to herself, the world, Kakashi. ‘I don't care if he rejects me after this day. I'll be honest with everyone I meet. If asked, I'll tell them: I'm in love with Kakashi Hakate.
Kakashi watched growing more and more scared as Naruto’s eyes went violet, and a low growl came from her throat. He had been around enough dogs to know a frustrated growl when he heard it.
“Naruto?” No answer. “Naruto? Are you okay?” He got off the couch and crouched in front of the girl. He looked for any signs of kurama taking over. The eyes seemed more like her emotions taking effect visibly. He was getting more and more worried for his student.
“It's not Sasuke '' The voice was so soft he almost didn't hear it. He thought her voice would sound gruff, it sounded more like silk. He sat back on his haunches rethinking years of knowledge. He had been so sure that it was Sasuke that Naruto was in love with.
“Who then? Is it Kiba?” Naruto grew visibly more angry. “Okay so not Kiba. Is it Shikamaru?” her eyes grew ever darker. Giving him Sirius flashbacks to her mother.
Finally, as though water broke through a dam, she lunged forward. Pushing Kakashi onto his back. She sat there, straddling his stomach. She looked down at him, her eyes going back to the normal sky blue, and they were full of determination.
“It wasn't Sasuke, or Kiba, or Shikamaru!” she grabbed hold of his vest, hands shaking from emotion. She wanted him to understand. To get it through his skull.
All Kakashi could do was to look at her. Her hair was falling in her face. Her eyes were blue, but there was a fire in them. For the first time he looked at her and saw her as a beautiful woman. He mentaly rebuked himself. ‘This Naruto! Sensei’s daughter!”
“Naruto what are you doing?” Naruto looked at him, and the thing was in her eye again. This time he thought he saw it as it was. Love? It slightly scared him, but excited him at the same time.
“Sensei… don't you get it? You're supposed to be a genius.'' Now there was the fun loving and prankster he knew. He was still on edge, but at least he knew she wasn't being controlled. Still he couldn't say it. He couldn't say what he thought was going on.
“Naruto, could you get off?” his voice betrayed his nervousness. Naruto just shook her head. Kakashi noticed then that her hands stopped shaking as badly as they were before. There was hardly a tremor. Her hand traveled up his shoulders, neck only to rest on his cheeks. He felt a tenderal of fear start. What if she took off his mask without his permission? It might have seemed small to someone else, but it was private. He never let just anyone see it. Heck even the women he had slept with never saw his face. It was then she spoke, like she could read his mind.
“It's okay Sensei, I'm not going to take your mask off. You can calm down.” she looked at him worried. The guy seemed to be on the brink of a panic attack. That was not what she imagined when she thought of this moment. Luckily what she had said seemed to do the trick.
She hesitated. Kakashi could see it. The internal debate, he couldn't blame her, this was her moment to turn back. To stop and pass it off as a joke. Part of him hoped she would, then another traitorous part wanted her to continue. He could see that she made her decision, her eyes shone with newly found determination that he found attractive.
She leaned down and kissed his forehead. He didn't move one inch. It was like he had forgotten how, and he didn't mind. All he could think about was her soft lips. As she broke away he caught a whiff of her breath, it was a mix of morning breath, and ramen. He stared into her eyes, he quickly got lost.
“I love you sensei,” she breathed out, “ since I was twelve.”
