Decaying Bluebells

Arc VII - Omake

Disclaimer: I'm not cool enough to own Naruto. For now, I only own Nao.

Warning: Fluff.

Beta: Kalafina94

Beta: silverseed

LOOK AT THE ARC. THIS CHAPTER IS P-T-S (PRE-TIME-SKIP).

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Third Person POV Omniscient.

"Hey don't you want to see it?"

Nao was fiddling with the strap on her goggles when she glanced up to find Naruto giving her and Sasuke a narrow-eyed sly look. Sasuke had an unimpressed expression, raising a single eyebrow in question.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke finally asked.

"You know what I'm talking about," Naruto said, his grin becoming more feral. "Kakashi-sensei's. real face!"

"Hn, how stupid," Sasuke scoffed, turning away.

Nao frowned at Naruto, shifting anxiously. "Kakashi-sensei wouldn't want us to see his face. He always wears his mask. I don't think he'd show us if we asked."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Then we won't ask."

Sasuke gave Naruto an annoyed look. "Whatever. I'm going home."

Sasuke turned and walked away, his hands shoved in his pockets. Naruto continued to give Sasuke that sly look. In a quiet voice, he said, "Maybe he has lips like a cod?"

The Uchiha boy faltered in his footsteps, straightening his back in attention as he considered this. Nao's eyes widened, and she had to cover her mouth with her hands to suppress her giggle.

Naruto snickered. another push. "Or maybe buckteeth?"

A shudder went through Sasuke.

Oh, boy, Nao thought. Kakashi isn't going to like this.

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"This is rare," Kakashi said, eyeing the trio.

"It's not that rare, Kakashi-sensei," Nao said softly, fiddling nervously. "I treat you to breakfast all the time after the stone."

Kakashi's only visible eye curved up into an upside down U. "That's right, Mini-Me."

Nao's face took on a reddish hue at the reminder. In an attempt to persuade Lee to leave her alone, she had convinced the boy that she was Kakashi's star apprentice. She even went so far as to start dressing like him. The only difference being that she lacked a flack of her own to complete the look.

But her plan worked. Now Lee was off in pursuit of another girl, choosing instead to deem Nao as his Eternal Rival.

Which was fine with her.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, "we're just, uh, celebrating your release from the hospital. Now go on ahead and eat up!"

"Alright. Then I'll eat without hesitation," Kakashi declared, staring down at the ramen bowl.

Almost in slow motion, Kakashi grabbed a pair of chopsticks, splitting them apart. His three students watched him anxiously. He gripped the upper-most part of his mask, slowly starting to pull it down—