I'm Not Alone {--Kakashi Hatake--}

{Chapter 9}

We still hadn't heard from Naruto in the morning. I joined the others in the main room, and after Sakura had woken up and yawned, she did the same. Tazuna, Inari, and Sasuke were seated down at the table while Kakashi sat on the floor between the main room and the bedroom barefoot, and Tsunami seemed to keep herself busy. It felt strange not having an annoying little blond.

I took a seat on the floor, trying to become more awake as Tazuna remarked, "Naughty Naruto stayed out all night again, didn't he?"

Sakura was rubbing her eyes when she replied, "Ever since you told us that story, he's been in the trees, training all alone, night after night...an idiot with an obsession." She muttered at the end. "If he exhausts his chakra, he could kill himself...and be lying dead somewhere right now." I was surprised that she didn't sound worried though. It was just as if she was simply stating a fact.

"...I hope he's all right. It's not good for a boy to spend night after night alone outside!" Tsunami fretted.

"There's nothing to worry about." Kakashi assured, "Naruto's a goofy kid...but he's also a full-fledged ninja." Hmm...I had the impression that Kakashi might be proud of the blond.

"Is it possible...could he have killed himself? That bone head-" Sasuke said.

The Next Morning...The Seventh Day of Training

"Where did Naruto go this time?" Sakura asked as her, Kakashi and I stood in the same opening as before. I was pleased to see that Kakashi now only had to use one crutch instead of both.

"Pushing himself beyond his limit, going out by himself again last night..." Kakashi explained.

"He's going to kill himself doing that..." I muttered under my breath. I was actually worried about the little Genin.

"And at breakfast time..." Sakura continued, "...Sasuke says he's going for a walk...and he disappears too!"

I couldn't help but smirk. I knew what the boys were up to now. A kunai was thrown at our group from above, landing at our feet, right in front of me actually. We all looked up. There was Naruto, exhausted on a tree branch. At the top of the tree.

"Naruto can climb all the way up there?" Sakura questioned, obviously impressed.

"Well?! Well?! Did you see? Look it how high I can go!!" Naruto boasted, and then tried to stand, but his foot slipped and he started to fall backwards.

"You idiot!!!" Sakura shouted as Kakashi yelled, "No!!! If he falls from that height...!!"

Seeing Sakura wasn't about to do anything and Kakashi wasn't able to, I started moving...until Naruto caught himself on the bottom of the branch by his feet, and yelled with a grin, "Psych--!! Hah...gotcha, suckers!!"

"You...you almost gave me a heart attack, you jerk!" Sakura yelled up at him. Kakashi appeared to be relieved, and so was I. Then suddenly, Naruto lost his hold on the brauch.

"Uh-oh!!" Kakashi shouted, aware of the danger, but Sakura still thought Naruto was kidding so she yelled, "Hey--!! Twice is too much, Naruto! Stop messing around!!!"

Naruto was screaming as well, and I was going to get him, but then out of nowhere Sasuke showed up, and grabbed the blond by the ankle, "You loser."

"Sasuke!!" Naruto shouted in relief.

"Yessss! Sasuke saves the day!! He gives me shivers!!!" Sakura exclaimed, and my eye twitched a bit. Her obsession with him was really starting to annoy me. But then again...I was starting to have my own obsession over the silver-haired Jounin, so maybe I couldn't judge.