Eclipse

Part 5

Naruto slips out of Sasuke's bed before he wakes up and then he's gone without a trace. He makes his way back home, feeling humiliated over last night's events. He can't explain why he cried or how he felt.

When he arrives, he gets undressed and showers before putting on a fresh change of clothes. He makes himself something to eat and then he heads to his office. His sleep schedule is off lately, but he is trying not to let it best him.

He tries to focus, but it grows difficult as the memories of last night continue swirling through his mind. They won't go away. He wants to talk to someone about this, but he isn't sure who to go to. He would usually go to Sakura, but he knows this would upset her. So, instead, he chooses Kakashi - his former mentor.

He heads to his apartment, knocking on his door.

"Open up, I know you're not asleep!" he shouts, getting impatient.

A few moments later, the door swings open and Kakashi is standing there, mask-less. The mystery grew as Naruto got older when Kakashi finally showed Naruto and Sakura his face they were almost disappointed to see that he wasn't hiding anything. He is an attractive man. Of course, this was common knowledge for anyone who has seen his face. He has a mole near his chin and he has handsome, sturdy features.

Now it is a common occurrence for Naruto to see Kakashi without his mask, though he still prefers to wear it when he's out in the public eye.

"What is it?" Kakashi asks.

"I have a problem," Naruto starts, pushing past his former teacher and letting himself on.

Kakashi closes the door behind him and walks with Naruto to the kitchen. He puts on tea and then they sit at the table. "What is the problem?" Kakashi asks.

Naruto watches the steam rise up from his cup of tea and for a moment he is silent, unsure how to explain how he feels. "It will sound strange," he says.

"You say a lot of strange things," Kakashi jokes around, "I'm sure I'm more than prepared to hear it."

Naruto wrinkles his nose. "This is different."

"How so?" Kakashi asks.

"Because it is..."

"Well, tell me and then we'll deal with it."

Naruto lets out a breath he's been holding and then he says, "I spent last night at Sasuke's house and I realized that I don't want him to date Sakura. I told Sakura that she should forget about him, but she doesn't want to. She wants to see if she can convince him of her love. I told her that he doesn't doubt her feelings, but he isn't looking for a woman. I told her that he only has eyes for his daughter." He is careful to leave out any details Sasuke wouldn't want Naruto to share. When he is finished speaking, Kakashi looks mildly humoured. It causes a crease in Naruto's brow. "What is so funny?" he asks, offended that his former teacher doesn't seem to be taking his plight seriously.

"It's love, Naruto," Kakashi responds.

Naruto is taken aback. "Love?"

"Yes, love."

"Well, yeah, I know I love Sasuke. I love loads of people, but I've never felt anything like that before."

Kakashi is smiling. "Perhaps that is because this is a different kind of love."

"What kind?" Naruto whispers the question, almost afraid to find out.

"I think you know what kind."

Naruto closes his eyes. "Why now?" he groans out the words.

"You were away from him for a long time," Kakashi notes. "Things change. People change. Feelings change. When you were young, you probably never thought about it. Now you're older. You're a man now. So is Sasuke. Perhaps that is another reason why this is difficult for you."