Mending The Past To A Better Future

Chp.8 Interwoven {Part-2}

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The following day had Rin at the hospital for a shift and Minato shadowing the Hokage, Naruto and Kakashi were left to their own devices. Kakashi was a bit miffed that the Sandaime hadn't assigned him any solo missions now that he was a jonin, but Naruto was glad even if she would never say it aloud. Even if Kakashi qualified by jonin standards, he was still just a kid. He wasn't even a teenager yet.

The two had visited Obito in the morning and Naru had watched on in great amusement as they pretended to not like each other. It was almost endearing in the way she saw herself and Sasuke in them.

After that, they had been walking back to Naru's apartment per her request when Kakashi had suddenly gone rigid next to her, his face blanching, forcing her to go alert.

"What's wrong?" She asked, eyeing him through her peripheral. She kept her body straight forward though, so that whatever threat there was didn't notice they had caught onto them. He was on edge, his lithe body standing straight up like he had electrocuted himself on a live wire.

"Walk. Faster." Was his curt reply, his own two feet speeding up remarkably quick. They began to push past people who gave small shouts of annoyance at the boy's lack of manners.

Naru kept pace with him but the silver haired jonin refused to speak about what was clearly troubling him. Well, that was until a loud and abnormally exuberant voice called, "MY ETERNAL RIVAL!"

Kakashi visibly sweatdropped and and Naruto's head swiveled to Gai, his loud presence calling attention to him without fail. She guffawed right off the bat, Kakashi's fists clenched at her antics. "Don't tell me you're hiding from Maito Gai," She teased, poking him with her index finger which he promptly ignored. This was one of the rarer instances where Naruto wishes she had the Uchiha's kekkei genkai, if only to record the panic her normally stoic companion managed to convey just through the upper portion of his face. Gai was loud and energetic, but he was determined and one of the strongest Shinobi Naruto had ever come to know, so she respected him. If only Kakashi knew how much they would come to grow together side by side.

"Shut up!" He half yelled. "And besides, if you want to make it to your house, you might want to hurry up before Gai challenges me to something or the other."

"Oh no," She said. "I think I'd much rather prefer to see whatever's got you so scared." Kakashi scowled (or so she thought, it was kind of hard to tell when his mask covered his mouth) and grabbed her hand and pulled behind him as they made their way further down the road to her house.

Gai called loudly behind them again, and Kakashi began channeling chakra into his feet, speeding up just a bit more. "C'mon," He pleaded. "There will be plenty of opportunities for you to see Gai and I fight."

"Why can't I see now?" She argued. Naru dragged her heels into the dirt ground and Kakashi looked back and forth from her shoes to what was undoubtedly the Blue Beast of Konoha.

"I am not above picking you up and carrying you," He threatened. "And I will do it if you don't get moving within the next five seconds."

"I don't believe you, you're way too we-"

"Five."

"And I could just call out for Gai right now!"

"Four."

''Stop counting!''

"Three."

Naruto growled and crossed her arms. "Have fun digging me out when my feet are chakra coated to the floor."

"Two."

Naruto stuck her feet deep into the mud and over Kakashi's shoulder she could see a young boy wearing a familiar green jumpsuit waving in their direction. "GAI!" Naru shouted wildly, waving her hand back. Kakashi clapped his hand over her mouth, muffling her indignant noises.