The Arctic Sage

6. C-Rank

"I think she's trying to kill me." Naruto opened up to one of his best friends, Shikamaru sat on the couch next to him, eyes darting around the room because they were indeed in the Hokage's office, with both teams trying to get a c-rank, but Sakura and Choji's were talking about recipes and Sasuke was actively trying to ignore Ino

"Suki? Really?" Shikamaru asked and and Naruto nodded , sighing and folding his arms.

"She gives me food that smelled weird, and my inner voice always tells me not to eat it. Though the voice is weird in itself." Naruto says with a blank face, folding his arms. Shikamaru hummed.

"You think she's trying to poison you? But why?" Shikamaru asked softly, not wanting to draw any attention to them, as Naruto only shrugged his shoulders.

He was a mess right now, constantly training. Worried about why Sky liked Kakashi. Worrying about who his parents were, why Minato seemed to care about a child that isn't his. Why Menma and Suki don't like him as why is food smells a hell of a lot different than anybody else's.

"If I knew I wouldn't be sitting her confining in a genius who should be able to figure this out, so its one less problem I have to find brain cells to fix." Naruto said and Shikamaru snorted.

"You just can't hand me something without evidence and think that I'm able to crack the code like I'm some type of Genius." Naruto scoffed.

"You are a damn genius."

"I'm also lazy, so try digging up something I can sink my teeth into because right now this is a puzzle with no solution, and I'm not wasting my brain cells trying to crack the case." Naruto scoffed and folded his arms, walking over to Kakashi to scoop Sky because he was annoyed with his best friend.

"What are we even still arguing about. Let's take our missions and leave already." Naruto said grabbing one of the C-ranks and handing it to Kakashi. Asuma only looked as Naruto leaned into Shikaku who only patted his head, knowing he was annoyed with his son.

"Now now Naruto, I'm sure Shikamaru didn't mean it" a yawn shook throughout the room followed by a lazy.

"Yes I did." Which made Naruto roll his eyes even more, groaning louder into the side of Shikaku who only chuckled.

"Sorry Naruto. At least you still have me and Yoshino." Which made Naruto groan even more and Shikamaru laughed while Kakashi watched as Naruto leaned into another man so casually.

He totally wasn't jealous.

Yet why was his hands shaking with Sakura trying to calm him down.

"So why don't we leave, send the bridge builder in and allow us to take this mission." Kakashi said, he had no objections now, and neither did Asuma who was happy they got the easiest C-Rank because Ino was in no way ready for anything actually difficult.

"Tazuna, you may enter." The man came in drunk as hell, which made each Genin cringe under the smell. Naruto wanted nothing more than to fight the bridge builder but Kakashi only carried the man like a sack of potatoes and ushered Naruto and Sky to leave which made Naruto leave Shikaku but he flipped off his best friend who declared.

"I love you too, Troublesome Red Head." Naruto scoffed and slammed the door, not even bothering to care if it broke or not. He walked next to Sasuke who looked even more annoyed than usual and he had to think it was because Ino begging to date him is insufferably annoying.

He's not looking for a girlfriend.

All he wants to do is become Hokage and beat Naruto in a spar.

Neither of his goals have been accomplished so he wouldn't spend any extra time with any female, including his docile teammate at the moment who was walking next to their sensei, making him bored out of his mind.

"The bridge builder ended up sleeping?" Sakura questioned as she tapped his forehead. He didn't stir and so she folded her arms and kept formation.

Team seven was in a bad mood, a mood that didn't make anybody even want to talk. Being badgered by a fan girl who knows damn well she can't marry Sasuke because of the lines mixing.

Naruto because Shikamaru was being a lazy bastard, Kakashi watching Naruto lean into a guy old enough to be his father, even though he knows it's platonic, but he was still upset, and Sakura was annoyed she didn't have anybody to talk to.

So everybody was too busy thinking, and wasn't sure what was happening, so when they walked passed a puddle and they heard chains, finally everybody had been on guard. Kakashi jumped back since he had the bridge builder while Naruto placed an explosive tag on in the chains.

Sasuke and Sakura went to take the other one, in Taijutsu and Naruto made sure Sky was safe before taking off at the man who evaded his explosive tag. Kakashi watched his Genin move fluently and felt nothing but happiness flutter in his chest.

The bridge builder started groaning, a classic sign that he is indeed about to throw up and so Kakashi sat him down against a tree and watched as he threw up violently. When he looked away from the bridge builder, Sasuke and Sakura had their person tied up and Naruto had just finished killing his. A little bit of blood rested on his cheek, and he looked to the ninja tied up.

"Would you like to explain why you are here? If not I can't guarantee a peaceful death?" Sasuke and Sakura watched Naruto work with doe like eyes. Intrigued with everything he does, like they were hypnotized.

Once he's explained, Naruto hummed and just killed him, standing up and he walked over to Kakashi to tell him what they learned, while licking the still fresh blood on his cheek.

Why did that movement make Kakashi stop breathing. His heart beat faster, he was almost afraid that his cheeks were dusted pink if not covered by the mask.

"Thanks I'll talk to bridge builder, you three did amazing against Chunin." Naruto smiled and went to tell Sakura and Sasuke what Kakashi told him.

There was no way this was just a small crush. Kakashi was falling for Naruto.

Hard.