The Toughest Lesson

Separation

Naruto grabbed his bag, running to Kakashi's house.  Skidding to a stop, out of breath, he banged on the door.  There was no answer.  The house was dark, all the lights were out.  Cursing under his breath, he pulled out his phone and called Kakashi.  It went straight to voicemail.  Swearing, Naruto texted Kakashi:  Call me, please.  I'm sorry.  Shoulders slumping, Naruto trudged to school.

He couldn't concentrate on the lesson.  A teacher named Iruka-sensei took over.  He was pleasant enough, but he wasn't Kakashi-sensei.  Naruto couldn't concentrate on the words or on anything.  He checked his phone constantly, with no positive results.  In fact, he barely avoided getting caught.  Trudging home after school, his heart was in his throat.  Going up to his room, he feigned illness, unable to deal with Jii's unbearable happiness.  Thankfully, Jiraiya went out on a dat....went out for research.  The only thing that kept invading Naruto's brain was What will I do if he never comes back?

********

Kakashi changed into his shinobi garb.  Black pants, black long sleeve shirt, flak jacket with his family crest on it, mask, and hitai-ate in place.  Reporting to the leader of the Allied Shinobi Forces, he knew he would need to be briefed.

The red haired male looked up.  Appraising Kakashi with his sea green eyes, he nodded.    "Good to see you, Copycat."  Kakashi nodded.  Naruto was locked away in the corner of his mind.  He had to concentrate on the mission at hand.  He had no desire to die.  "You need to be briefed.  Yota, please."

A thin man with brown hair and a cherubic smile came in.  Kakashi looked at him blankly.  Reaching out, the brunette tapped Kakashi on the forehead lightly.  Kakashi's eye opened wide.  Looking down, he focused his power, the lightning forming around his hand.  "Good, you remember."  The red haired male said.

Kakashi looked up.  "Yes, Gaara.  I have been briefed."

*******

Naruto frowned as he got up to the incessantly loud banging on his door.  Opening the door, Jiraiya yelled ,"Happy birthday!!"  Naruto stared at him.

"Thanks, Jii."  He looked miserable.

"Hey, this doesn't look like the face of a happy 18 year old."  Jiraiya said.  Naruto just shrugged.  "Come on.  Give it up.  What's eating at you, kid?"

Naruto frowned.  Sighing, he was tired.  "I fucked up, Jii.  Bad."

"Really?  How?"  Jiraiya sat down on the bed, motioning for Naruto to join him.

"You aren't going to like what I say."  Naruto looked at Jiraiya.  "But, if you want me to talk, ya gotta hold back on the judgment."  He stared at Jiraiya.

Sighing, Jiraiya nodded.  "Okay, kid.  I will hold back."   The older male looked at his godson.  He didn't know what was coming, but he figured, with the way Naruto was acting, he wouldn't like it.

"I told Kakashi that I hated his fucking guts."  Tears formed in his eyes.

Jiraiya looked confused.  "Why would you do that?"

"Jii, he got activated as a shinobi, and had to leave."  Naruto stared glumly at the carpet.

Jii still looked confused.  "Okay...why?  I still don't understand."

Naruto shook his head.  "Jii...I love him...I am in love with him.  I am sorry if you don't approve, or if you hate me, but I do.  We didn't mean for it to happen...it just did.  And now, he has left to fight, and I may n..never s...see him again."  The tears fell.

Jiraiya sat, in shock.  Anger welled in him over the situation.  Kakashi was Naruto's teacher, damnit!  Sitting there, hands fisted at his side, he tried to control his anger.  After a bit, his vision cleared; then he heard Naruto's sobs.  Looking over, Naruto was a blubbering mess.  Jiraiya sighed, pulling the boy to him.  Hugging him, Naruto clung to Jiraiya, the tears flowing again.

"C'mon, Naruto, it's okay.  I am sure he knows it wasn't true."  Jiraiya rubbed Naruto's back.

"He is gone, he isn't answering his phone." Naruto sniffled.

Jiraiya sighed.  "Naruto, he can't take his phone with him.  The shinobi world is...different."

Naruto looked up, nose running, face red.  "Different, how?"

Jiraiya sighed.  "They can use chakra, and jutsus.  He was probably mindfucked by a shinobi to forget about his chakra and summoning powers.  That is what usually happens when someone is debriefed."  Jiraiya said.

"How do you know so much?"  Naruto asked.

"Kid, I used to be a shinobi."

*******

Kakashi went to his quarters.  The Akatsuki had resurfaced.  Sighing, he wondered what would need to be done.  Looking around his quarters, he felt incredibly lonely.  Looking at the clock on the wall, he realized it was time to meet his squad.  Heading out, he went to the meeting place. 

Getting there, he nodded at the tall brunette with scars on his face.  "Shikaku."  Turning, he saw the thin blonde male with long hair approach as well.  "Inoichi."  Both men nodded, not surprised by Kakashi's reactivation. 

Looking around, he saw Guy approach.  "My Eternal Rival!"  Guy yelled, still reserved, but more friendly than the last time Kakashi saw him.  Kakashi's eyebrow raised.  Unfortunately, he didn't have time to talk, as Gaara came in.

"Good.  You all are assembled.  The mission is this.  The Akatsuki is after information that the Elder Uchiha had in his head, regarding an improved reincarnation jutsu that would make the resurrected nearly invincible.  However, Fugaku has died...but it seems that the jutsu has not.  Fugaku told our spy, Konkuro that one other knew the jutsu.  This person came upon the information by accident and Fugaku had tried to obliterate that person, but was unable to before being apprehended and incarcerated.  So now, the Akatsuki is after this person.  Your mission is to retrieve this person, and bring them back here so we can extract the jutsu."

The squad nodded.  Gaara pinched the bridge of his nose.  "We don't know where the target is, or even what he looks like.  All we have is a name.  Uzumaki, Naruto."

Kakashi couldn't help himself from blurting out,  "You have got to be shitting me."