Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Warmth of a Cold Touch	By : ChocolateRedVelvet Category: Naruto > Threesomes/Moresomes Views: 4563 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 9
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and make no profit from it

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Caution: This is the writer's first draft

Rating: Adult (applies for this and future chapters)

Pairings: Naruto/Haku; Naruto/Kimimaro; Threesome

Warnings (applies to this and future chapters): m/m; slash, homoerotic, language, OOC, male pregnancy, cross-dressing, graphic sexual situations.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

Chapter Fourteen

Naruto stood outside his apartment building. It was a little after dawn. He yawned widely, rubbed his fist against his eye and lifted his steaming cup of tea to his lips. It was a special mix Haku dried that was supposed to promote alertness. He never drank it before, but so far he was enjoying the sweet, spicy taste. He had a late night last night. After dinner he and Kakashi sensei talked for quite a bit of time about why he wasn't entering the exams. He expanded on his original reasoning, telling Kakashi a little bit about what his little clan was doing and even asked his advice about a few ideas he had.

Kakashi was very helpful and even volunteered to help out at the dojo, mentioning how his teacher the Fourth used to take him to a dojo to learn when he first entered the ninja forces and he remembered the times fondly.

Naruto was almost struck blind by the brilliant idea, if did say so himself, to have Kakashi teach the kids some of Leaf's history, particularly the famous Fourth's battle history from his perspective as a student of the Leaf's greatest Hokage, and battle participant. Kakashi reluctantly agreed.

The problem was the dojo wasn't done yet. It only had one wall standing, the wall he and Haku built yesterday morning. Or is that the night before last?

So, after talking to Kakashi he sent a message to the slums to increase the number of people working. This building needed to go up in a few days, like say three. He had all of today, tomorrow, and Friday. The exams were on Saturday so he left that day to be an extra in case they fell behind their harsh schedule. Kakashi had to be at exams since Sakura was participating and the other two genin's teacher was on a mission. The next day was his first free day and that was the day he agreed to help out at the dojo.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun," Haku called before kissing him on the cheek. He grinned broadly and wrapped one arm around the brunet's lithe waist to pull him against his side. "Good morning, Haku-chan. Sleep well?"

"Hmm, yes. Ready to put the dojo up?"

"Yup." He drained his cup and placed it on the step beside his foot. "Let's go see if the crew arrived yet."

Haku glared at the cup but didn't say anything. Naruto knew he didn't like that he placed it there. "I don't want to go all the way upstairs to put it in the sink," he whined.

Haku's lips turned up in a small smile. "Let's go before you combust."

"Yatta!" Naruto screamed and ran forward. He could hear Haku laughing and running after him. A part of him couldn't believe all of this was happening, but the largest portion of him was just happy to enjoy the shift in his circumstances.

Kimimaro bit his thumb and then flipped through the seals for a summoning. He moved without thinking, his muscle memory doing all the work. He'd done this so many times. It was the one ability he could accomplish that Orochimaru and thus Sound never learned about.

He always felt a little, okay a lot, guilty for not telling him but the summons refused to allow him to notify Orochimaru. Seemed the snakes and Orochimaru were notorious, even among summons.

He felt the draw on his chakra just before a cloud of smoke appeared in front of him. It was relatively small. It dispersed to reveal an unnaturally large scorpion. Though she was much bigger than the scorpions found around the world, she was a small-medium sized summon for the scorpion family. "Welcome, Reza."

"Hello, Kimimaro. What does that eyeliner-wearing freak have you doing this time? Just whose blood am I going to spill today?" she drawled. She turned around taking in the landscape. "Wow, we're not in Sound anymore."

Kimimaro smiled slightly. It was hard not to be affected by Reza's exuberance or get ticked off by her snarky comments. "No, we're in Leaf." He cocked his head. "To be precise we are in one of the many woods that surround the Village Hidden in the Leafs."

"Have you defected?" she asked with clear excitement.

Kimimaro's smile disappeared. "No."

She sighed. "That totally sucks. I really, really wish you would. Imagine all the fun we could have here. You could even get a tan!"

"Just as I wish you would stop asking me that horrid question. I am loyal to Orochimaru. He has given me everything. He saved me from loneliness." He paused. "And I get more than enough sun in Sound."

Reza lifted her two foremost arms and crossed them in front of her and huffed. "He saved me from loneliness", she mocked. " Only cause you didn't listen to us first. We sent you dreams long before he found you," she muttered. "If you'd listened to them you would have found our summoning scroll first." Then louder, "Who is loyal to you, huh? Did you ever consider that question? Me. The scorpions, that's whom! Everyone else has betrayed you and the Sanin will be no different."

"Reza," Kimimaro growled. He hated to hear words against his master. His summons were the only beings that could dare without feeling the sharp edge of his bone blade.

There was a different nature to Reza's complaint today. This was the first time Reza had spoken such words about Orochimaru. She and most of the other scorpions usually complained about his bloodthirsty ways. They were deadly beings that believed the only acceptable enemy was a dead one. Still, they hated that Orochimaru killed anyone who got in his way or worse yet, he experimented on innocents with no remorse as long as it brought him power. Orochimaru had no boundaries and they hated him for it.

"No, you will let me speak. I'm only 119 years old, but what do I know? You don't have to listen to my advice but when the roosters come home to crow don't say I didn't warn you. I am not the type to say, "I told you so.""

Kimimaro almost smiled at that. Reza had in fact told him those very words many times before.

"There will come a time when Orochimaru will no longer need you, when you become expendable, and you will be left like so many of the piece of trash ninja he hires: alone, destitute and gasping for your last breathe. You should leave while you can. Find a mate. Marry. Have her bear you little ninja so our clan can have more summoners."

"I am not getting married so you can have more people willing to call on you."

She reared onto her back legs. Kimimaro stepped back unconsciously. Reza, despite her age and size, was one of the clan's most fearsome warriors. She was deadly when angered and vicious in battle. Like him, she killed any opposition with no remorse. He didn't want to get on her bad side. "I'll have you know that's not the only reason we want you to get mated."

"We?"

"Yes, we. Even the grand master himself wants you to be joined. Claims the sex would mellow out your attitude. I strongly disagree but a good orgasm has been known to do miraculous things to the human personality."

Kimimaro bit his lip to prevent himself from lashing out at Reza. He could not believe his summons were talking about his sex life. Or lack thereof.

It was humiliating.

He suddenly wished he hadn't listened to that stupid dream that told him where the scroll was hidden. Gift of the ninja gods, his ass! He was cursed.

"Oy! Did you call me here for a reason or did you just want to see my pretty face?" she said with a smirk. He hated the look on her face. He thought Manda's face was very expressive, at least until he meet the scorpions. They could convey exactly what they were thinking with one look.

Reza didn't think very highly of him at the moment. He tried not to feel very insulted but it was hard not to be offended.

"I am going to burn that damn scroll in the hottest fire I can make. Might even ask one of those trashy fire ninja to light it for me. Fire is their specialty…" Kimimaro muttered underneath his breath. Unfortunately there was no evading a chakra being's hearing.

"Hey! You wipe that thought out of your mind. You even act on it and I'll show just how deadly my venom is?"

"I spoke in anger. I must apologize."

She sniffed. "Apology accepted. Now, lets get down to business. What's up?"

"I wondered if you could take a message."

"To your children?"

"Yes," he answered curtly. He hated that she called them his children. Last he knew he didn't impregnate a single woman.

"It is good to know you have ties to someone beside Orochimaru. It will serve you well in the end."

"I know I'm not the most optimistic of ninja, but I really wish you would stop proclaiming gloom over my master-disciple relationship."

She held out a claw. He placed his sealed scroll into it. "Don't you mean master-slave relationship?" she retorted and puffed away before he could respond.

"Reza," he growled. Sometimes he really hated the mouth on his favored summon.

"I can't hear you," Haku called as he finished washing the last dish from their lunch. The running water was loud and prevented him from hearing whatever Naruto was saying in the living room.

This time Naruto cooked. Well, he did with copious amounts of Haku's help. Despite living on his own for most of his life, or maybe because he lived alone most of his life, the blond couldn't cook worth a damn. Still, he demanded to share in their chores.

Every chore.

Little by little Haku was teaching the blond the basics of cooking. Today's meal was simple but delicious. Haku wondered if it was the flavor of Naruto's hard work that made it taste so good.

He was very proud of Naruto and how far he came in the few weeks they were together. Wave seemed a lifetime ago, but it had only been five weeks.

Five long weeks filed with a thousand different things, discovers and changes.

Ninja live was fast paced but even Haku was starting to feel the strain.

"Sorry, forgot about the water. We're going to have to fix that. I don't think it should be that loud," Naruto remarked as he entered the kitchen. It was one of the rooms they hadn't renovated. To be honest they hadn't worked on much of the apartment building. They knocked down some walls on the top level to make the highest floor one big apartment and shored up some walls to create new load bearing walls, but other than that they didn't work on their home. Most of their focus was on the dojo and clinic. They both wanted the two buildings to go up as soon as possible. Every day felt like a day wasted. The promise of ten, let alone a hundred or even the eventual and hopeful, thousand children trained in skills Leaf desperately needed itched under his skin. He believed Naruto felt the same way.

"We'll get to it eventually. I'll write a reminder so we don't forget when we do get to fix the kitchen." He grabbed a pad he kept by the refrigerator for such notes and marked it down.

He turned to find Naruto watching him. His deep, blue eyes were so intense and searching, Haku felt his gaze on his skin, within his flesh, deep in his bones. It was incredible and frightening just how deeply the blond affected him. Haku shifted, trying to hide his growing stiffness. As attractive as woman's clothing was, they had some drawbacks. He wasn't sure just how much Naruto knew about reproduction and human sexuality but he didn't think this was the time for a lesson.

Unless it was hands on teaching.

"What…" Haku cleared his throat, trying to get rid of its huskiness. "What were you saying before? You know, while I was washing the dishes."

The dark pink pad of Naruto's tongue swept along his bottom lip moistening it. Haku's gaze followed it, starved with the need to curl his tongue against the blond's. His heart was beating fast and his cock was rock hard.

Haku forcefully reminded himself of Naruto's age.

Twelve.

He was only fifteen.

He knew shinobi matured faster, a side effect of so much chakra and the ability to utilize it, but he felt his reaction to preteen Naruto was a little extreme.

Maybe he was just a horny little thing.

"Oh, I was just thinking about the money we got from Gato and thought about how we could use some of it."

"How?" asked, happy to have any nonsexual to think about.

"Well, I think we, as a clan, could offer scholarships to orphans who are going to the academy."

Haku considered it. "Doesn't the village have a fund for orphan academy students?" He knew most shinobi villages did. It was an easy way to get soldiers as the forces paid well.

"Yeah," Naruto admitted. "But it isn't enough. It wasn't enough for me and a lot of others. Like Ami had a hard time in school because she was always scraping to get supplies, and a lot of the dojos charge students, even academy age ones, for lessons, regardless of if you're an orphan or part of a clan. I know a lot of people talk about orphan and civilian versus clan ninja. They make it seem like it's all about blood. For some skills it is. You know like bloodlines, but most of it comes down to money and…" he paused for a moment, "resources. You either have or don't. I think we could change that."

Haku didn't know what it felt like to be a cash strapped student, but he did remember being a starving street urchin. "I like it. How much do you want to give each child?"

"Well, I want to pay for their apartment, maybe give an allowance for food, a small one as the village gives them some funds for that already, and money for supplies." He broke his gaze from Haku's and looked to the side. "I always checked the training fields for discarded stuff and mended what I could but I know everyone is not as thrifty or good at fixing things."

Haku nodded his head in agreement. He learned from Master Zabuza and he was damn near master sword crafter level. Haku was more than capable of mending any of his tools but an academy student wouldn't know how to keep what little he had.

The brunet considered the idea of an orphan scholarship. There was something percolating just on the edge of his mind. He grinned. "You know one of Gato's many companies is a weapon's manufacturer. While the stuff may not be as high grade as a craft master's it will be more than good enough for an academy student."

Naruto grinned brightly. "That's brilliant, Haku. Why didn't I think of that!" he exclaimed.

Haku smiled in return. "Well, I'm the brain and you're the brawn, remember?" he quipped.

"You're asking for it, Haku. Just remember this when you get it."

Haku stared at Nartuo in literal open-mouthed shock. He didn't know if the boy said that on purpose, but the innuendo struck true and Haku was wondering just how bad he needed to be to "get it."

"One of these days I'm gonna prank you and you'll be sorry."

Haku deflated faster than a popped balloon. Damn. He was already sorry. "We'll see," he replied, trying to ignore the disappointment he felt keenly. "You still can't find me when we do target hunting. Heck, you can't find Yuki."

Naruto huffed. "Hey, I found you a few times."

Haku tried to hide his grin behind his hand. It seemed he failed.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"Naruto, those times I gave up. I was tired and not all of us have your endurance."

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and looked over his right shoulder. "Whatever." He was quiet for about five seconds. Haku counted. The blond couldn't stay angry with him, or even pretend to stay angry. "I think we could see if that hotel could be converted. We could offer them apartments instead of paying for boarding. It would be nice for all, or some, of the students to live together." He shrugged. "I know I would have liked it."

"What hotel?" Haku asked, trying to remember what property Gato, Inc. owned inside Leaf. Belatedly, he remembered a hotel that functioned more as a whorehouse. It gave hourly, not nightly rates.

Yeah, that needed to go. It was on his list of things to clean up and it was in a fairly borderline area. Unlike Mist, the Leaf didn't have certain areas for specific groups of people. There was no such thing as the shinobi district. Instead it grouped its people in concentric circles with a clan in the middle, civilians outside, and shinobi housing outside that. There were more than two dozen such clusters around the village. Not all had clan and civilian divisions.

It was done so there wasn't one target an enemy would go after. It wasn't in the red or black districts, but it wasn't in shinobi, clan, or a civilian region. It was literally on the invisible borderline between one of the clustered shinobi and civilian regions.

Haku winced. "Naruto, uh, that place isn't exactly a hotel."

"It's a whore house, Haku. Well, it's close to one. I know its history. I'm not that oblivious."

"Well, students may not be willing to live in a place with that kind of history."

Naruto shook his head in disagreement. "It depends on how we redo it. If we make it into one of the best apartment buildings in Leaf, jounin are going to want to live there, not just academy students."

"You win."

"Don't I always?"

Haku's rebuttal never came. He couldn't get it past suddenly parched lips. He was paying so much attention to the conversation and trying to figure out just which property Gato, Inc. owned, he didn't realize Naruto was steadily making his way over to him. The blond was just a few feet away from where he leaned one hip against the kitchen sink.

The space separating them seemed so small.

Especially since Haku could smell the clean scent that was distinctly Naruto. It was a combination of Japanese Maplewood, Wintersweet, and dogwood. Of course, there was Ramen added on top.

"Haku, are you okay?"

He was fine. He was blushing brighter than a virgin on her wedding night and hornier than a samurai on leave, but he was fine. "Yeah, I'm okay," he managed to get out.

Naruto didn't believe him.

He didn't need to say anything. It was right there on his face. Really, they were going to have to work on keeping his thoughts hidden. "No, you're not."

Then he strode forward, walking right into Haku's personal space and flooding him with the scent of his skin and the feel of his body heat. Naruto reached out and his callused hand brushed over Haku's cheek. He shuddered at the simple, but devastating touch. His hand moved down his cheek to his jaw and then traveled north. His fingers brushed the dip beneath his lips. So close he could literally reach out and lick his finger.

As though seeing through a fog, Haku watched as his tongue slipped past his dry lips and caressed Naruto's thumb.

They both froze on contact.

Hunger pulsed between them.

Haku's heart beat wildly in his ears and fear kept him from moving. He couldn't believe he just did that. It was one thing to think it. It was an entirely different thing to act on his thoughts.

Naruto's fingers moved, glided a little north, and then his thumb, wet with Haku's saliva, and brushed against the full flush of his bottom lip. Haku groaned and licked the full pad, tasting the salt of his skin and remnants of the ginger and soy from their lunch.

"Haku." Naruto growled his name like it was a curse. Haku lifted his eyes from Naruto's hands. The blond's eyes were dark blue, almost black, and his pupils were blown wide with lust. Haku sucked in a deep breath.

Then the blond's lips were on his.

The brunet gasped at the first touch of his mouth. It was warm and firm. His lips pressed insistently against his. Haku opened automatically. He could feel Naruto's warm breath against his parted lips. For a moment the blond didn't do anything, just breathed against his open mouth. Then his tongue tentatively darted forward and swept over his lips. Haku groaned deeply at the wet caress. He pressed against Naruto's broad chest, wanting, needing to be closer to the fair genin.

Naruto's hands were on him. One was pressed into the small of his back. It pushed at him, forcing their hips together so Haku could feel Naruto's insistent erection against his thigh. The other braced his shoulders, fingers caressing his right upper arm.

Haku sunk into the pleasure as Naruto's tongue grew bolder with every stroke. It mapped his mouth, sending shockwaves of arousal racing down his spine.

All too soon they broke apart. Haku needed air. His chest heaved, taking in heavy breathes with every second. Eyes on him, Naruto did the same.

He opened his mouth to say something. Naruto beat him there. "I'm going to kiss you again."

Haku licked his bottom lip and tasted Naruto on it. "Okay."

Naruto did just what he said he would and kissed him again.

"We're going home." Isane lowered her chopsticks and looked at the room around her. Eleven pairs of eyes were watching her. His was one of them. He couldn't help it. From the moment they came together he knew he needed to watch the little girl. She would always know when the winds changed and right now he was waiting for the moment when their savior, Kimimaro got fed up with clothing and feeding them and sent them on their way.

He wanted to be prepared. He was caught by surprise before and now his parents were dead and his sister was missing.

It was dinnertime and their "grandmother" or caretaker was nowhere to be found. She didn't like to stay around them too long. Something about the children, especially when together, didn't sit well with her.

Shuuhei didn't fault her. They were different. Grandmother thought it was their history that set them apart from other children. It was true. No one walked away from the slave trader and a kidnapping without being changed in some way. Shuuhei knew it was more than that. He just didn't know what exactly.

He thought it was their many gifts that set them apart. Bloodlines. He didn't know the word until Father Kimimaro told him it, but it fit what he and many of the other children had and could do.

Blood. It always came down to that.

"What are you talking about?" Shuuhei asked as he finished braiding the long strands of his honey blond hair. He then wrapped it into a tight bun.

Isane turned to regard him. "Father Kimimaro has sent a message to our teacher. It is not the message we are waiting for. It is much too soon for that."

He sighed. "I really wish you would speak in clear sentences, but I guess I'm asking for too much."

"You ask for too little in life," she replied with a scowl.

He ignored her comment and returned to the original topic. "You said we were going home. When?"

She shook her head. "Yes, we are going home, but we are not returning. We won't be going back to the places we each once knew. No, home is different. Better. Safe. Someplace we will all be happy to call home.

She plopped down on the ground. Hisagi, the gardener as Kimimaro knew him, followed her to the floor. She played with the hem of her dress for a few moments. Shuuhei simply watched. He knew she was gathering her thoughts. Her vision, if he wanted to be honest, but he hated thinking of her as a seer. Seers lived short and pain filled lives in the Elemental Nations. No leader, whether civilian, ninja, or samurai could ignore the allure of a being who could predict the future. There was nothing like knowing what cards you would be dealt and having the ability to shift the stack in your favor.

She giggled. "Soon Father Kimimaro will stop being our father." Her giggles doubled. "Wonder if he will allow me to call him mother?"

He choked on his noodles. He wasn't the only one. "Are you looking to receive a bone blade in your gut?" he gasped.

She didn't reply. Her gaze became distant. "I don't remember her very well, but he reminds me of my mother. She was hurt too. He will be hurt more. Mother Kimimaro is sad where he is and soon he will leave. He must leave for he cannot bloom without the sun's fire."

He totally ignored the fact that Isane called Kimimaro mother. He wasn't touching that with a ten-foot spear, even if the tip was burning. He wasn't even willing to touch it with his crescent sword.

Great they were packing up and going somewhere totally unknown. He wouldn't call this place his home or even his favorite place but he was coming to enjoy the comfort of a life not spent on the run.

Thankfully he would not be returning to that. He was already looking forward to the move, wherever this "home" was located. "Can you tell me a general area?" he asked.

She snapped out of her faraway gaze and stared at him. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "No," she finally replied. "I only know that we all be happy." She cocked her head to the side. "Well, that and we need to be prepared at a moment's notice." She giggled. "We should gather gifts for our new home while we wait. It's impolite not to bring gifts, you know?"

Reza chose that moment to reveal herself. "Your father sends gifts," she called as the small cloud of smoke disappeared.

Isane and a few of the younger children giggled at her words. Kimimaro made his view of the title they gave him very clear. However, it wasn't going anywhere, especially when Reza made it a point to continually call him that whenever she visited.

He sighed. At nine he was the second oldest child and should be able to keep a hold on the rest, but it was damned difficult to do. Reza didn't make it any easier.

She visited fairly often. Isane speculated that Kimimaro might be sending her to watch them, but he was pretty sure or if the summons took it upon herself. She didn't know much about the beings and no answers were coming to her so she couldn't say what was going on.

The eldest of them, Hisana, a ten year blond, strode over to Reza and bowed low. Hisana was the only one of them with an actual weapon. Two to be precise. She had a short, double barrel gun, and something she called a knuckle knife. Kimimaro provided her with both when she made it clear that it wouldn't be smart to leave them with "grandmother" and nothing more.

The scorpion chuckled. "You keep treating me like a princess and Kimimaro will never get rid of me." She glanced around the room. "How are my nieces and nephews?" The older kids blushed and stammered out denials, but Isane and Hisagi walked over to the summon. "How is father?" Isane asked. Hisagi chose that moment to display his intelligence. "No, Mama."

Insane chuckled, as did most of the children. "Someone want to explain the joke to me?" Reza asked.

Isane did. Reza grinned widely. "You brats get lucky and mama might provide you with another sibling. Wonder who papa is?"

Kakashi chuckled darkly and rubbed his hands together. He couldn't wait until his little student arrived. His individual session with Naruto went well. It was completely unconventional and no one but Asuma would call his dinner meeting with the blond a training session. It was what it was and it was needed. He tried so hard to distance himself from his students in the hope he wouldn't become attached to them and so wouldn't hurt when they left him, even if by choice, that he neglected their needs.

Naruto needed companionship must of all. Thank the gods for Haku, but Kakashi needed and wanted to do his part. He couldn't leave everything to the adorable brunet. He was required to know his students to understand best how to help them grow into exceptional people and warriors.

Sakura skidded to a stop a few feet before him. She stared at his lounging form in open-mouthed surprise. "You're here and on time?" Then she straightened and placed her hands on her hips. "This is the second time. What's going on here?"

"Stretch."

The girl opened her mouth to question him again. Kakashi almost sighed but he was better than that. "Don't make me repeat myself. You wont like the consequences," he said flatly.

She considered him for a moment then huffed and started stretching out her hamstrings, glutes and thighs. After a few moments she stood up. "Done," she called cheerfully.

"No. You're not done. Do it again and stretch out your back, your arms and your core. Everything."

He was surprised the girl hadn't been hurt already if this was how she normally stretched before a training session.

Sakura pouted, but she did as he demanded taking an absurd amount of time to get it done. Kakashi almost pinched his nose in exasperation. He already knew it was going to be a long day. Then he grinned sadistically. If Sakura was going to draw their training out, he might as well work his hardest to make sure she regretted it.

"Warm up. Run around the lake a few times."

Predictably she sulked and asked, "How many?"

"I'll tell you when to stop."

She huffed and jogged over to the body of water and then preceded to half walk, half jog around it. He bit his lip to stop himself from grinning widely. "Pick it up. The slower you are the more laps you have to do," he called out.

She immediately picked up the pace. He didn't stop until she was a sweaty, huffing mess. It didn't take long for her to get that way and he frowned at the realization. He waited until she was meandered her way over to him. "When we're not training as a team, do you train on your own?"

"What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?" she gasped out between heavy, struggling breathes. He already knew he wasn't going to like her answer if she didn't even understand the question. He knew without a doubt that his other students would have huffed in anger at even the insinuation they weren't training whenever they were apart. "Do you do katas, run, and practice your aim, anything when you go home from team training? When I don't schedule team practice?"

She flushed and it was interesting to see since the girl was already red from running. "Uh, no. Am I supposed to? I mean we already do so much every time we meet," she mumbled, clearly embarrassed by her answer. "I do read up on mission stuff. You know, tactics and trapping. The stuff I'm not too good on."

He couldn't help it. He sighed and pinched his nose. He doubted even the Hokage was that good. Why oh why him?

"Don't you remember your academy teacher telling you to spend at least four hours each day training?"

She nodded her head. "Of course, I do. Oh, is that the training you mean? Well, I gather information and analyze it and then there is the manners stuff, fashion and makeup that I practice."

Kakashi stared at her horrified. This was the smartest girl the academy had to offer? If so, the other teams were screwed.

"Do you do any actual training? Any physical training? And what exactly do you mean by information gathering?" He realized almost the minute the question was out of his mouth exactly what she was talking about: gossip. It was a ninja's greatest and worst weapon.

"Uh, no."

"To be a good, or even simply effective ninja, a person has to be able to accomplish the physical and mental aspects of the ninja arts. Right now you can barely run a mile without busting a gut and beyond that you're a sitting duck. Any capable genin could detain you, let alone chunin and jounin. You have no stamina, little chakra and you're telling me you don't even try to improve yourself when we aren't together."

"Uh, I guess," she muttered dejectedly.

"I am going to speak plainly and I hope you don't get offended." Not that he cared if she did. "Despite graduating almost six months ago, you are barely past the stage you were at as an academy student and to be frank, you were a weak student. No matter how smart you are it will not save you out on the field when you are against a stronger, faster, more experienced, and cunning ninja. Nothing found in a book could compete with that. I know. To this day I have some of the highest scores ever accomplished in the academy. Yet when I get on the field it's about how fast I can move, how much information I can process about the enemy and how quickly I can respond to what I see, smell, hear, taste and feel. A ninja's greatest weapon is his body and his mind."

"I know that, Kakashi-sensei. I got the best scores in the academy on knowledge."

"On information like history and test book tactics, but an enemy is not going to ask you when the first's birthday is or when he defeated a certain squadron of cloud ninja. Right now you don't have very sharp weapons. To be frank, I would recommend that you don't enter the chunin exams. As a team, you guys are ready, but individually you aren't. "

"I see."

"Do you really, Sakura?"

She nodded her head, but Kakashi could see that she didn't really get it. Some of it was sticking but most of it wasn't. "Sakura, you saw my battle with Zabuza, right?"

"Yes, it was terrifying and really awesome."

"Thank you. Now, how well do you think you three would have done if I wasn't there?"

She trembled and that was answer enough for him. "There will come a time when I wont be there and you will run across someone that is even more talented than Zabuza. What will you do then? Hide behind your teammates because I can tell you now Sasuke and Naruto are doing their best to be the strongest the Leaf has ever produced and they will accomplish it if they continue on the road they've started. Where will you be? A name on the memorial stone?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm going to get strong."

"Do it and remember why you entered the program to begin with. Leaf needs strong female ninja with leadership qualities. It's been a long time since we had a Koharu or Tsunade. There is no reason why you cannot be the next generation."

She jerked her head up and down shakily. It seemed he managed to get through to her. "Good. Now let's work on your katas."

Kakashi stood beneath a tree and lifted his hands above his head, stretching his arms and back. He was absolutely exhausted. More of it was mental. Training Sakura was mind numbingly tiring. He couldn't believe how behind she was.

He was torn between being angry with himself and Sakura. How did things get this bad? He knew he emphasized teamwork more than anything but that was mainly because great teamwork provided a solid foundation for individual strengths. He'd worked with enough ninja to know even the strongest ninja failed a mission when they didn't have teamwork. More often than not it was easy to build teamwork with younger genin because they were blank canvases. They didn't have any ingrained habits that hindered their partners or battle strategies that got in the way of others.

It seemed Sakura only got part of the message. He knew he was partly to blame but he wasn't willing to accept it all. The academy and Sakura was responsible, too. He thought the rumors about the academy's latest curriculum was just that: rumors. He couldn't envision the Hokage signing off on any lesson plan for ninja that included fashion and flowers. While training with Sakura he asked her a few questions about her course load. It seemed the rumors were strongly based on truth.

If that wasn't a kick in Leaf's balls, he didn't know what was.

He only hoped he managed to get through to Sakura. Leaf needed more than a civilian with a kunai, and that was exactly what she acted like. Diets. Fashion. Boy stalking.

He straightened and headed into the village. It didn't take him long to reach his destination. He knocked on Asuma's door and hoped to gods the brunet was home.

He was and opened the door after a few moments. He had a smile on his face and his burning cigarette was clenched between his very white teeth. "Fancy seeing you here. What are you doing? Looking for some information on my teams so you can relay it to your kids?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No. You know as well as the rest of the ninja that my boys aren't participating." It was surprising and more than a little frightening just how quickly ninja could spread information, especially when it was secrets. The Hokage let the cat out of the bag when he asked certain genin to try and convince the boys enter the exam but that was only a few days ago. As far as he knew almost all of the Leaf jounin in the village knew Naruto and Sasuke weren't participating. They also knew that a significant number of rookie genin were participating.

He wondered how long until the civilians knew.

Not until the actual exams. Jounin closed rank over secrets. They might tell each other what was going on but they tended to keep the secret from anyone of a lower rank and never told civilians. All the jounin knew Asuma was banging Kurenai including the old man, hence her appointment to jounin sensei despite her relative lack of experience, but the civilians didn't know and were still throwing themselves at both sides of the couple each chance they got.

Especially Asuma. He was a bigger ticket on the marriage market than Kakashi and that was saying a lot considering his history and heritage.

Asuma chuckled. "Yeah, Pops was cursing up a blue storm about the monkey wrench they threw into all the old biddies plans by ducking out. Can't say I blame them. Know my team is ready but I'm more than a little worried about how they will do individually." He shrugged.

"So why are you letting them enter?" Kakashi knew why he nominated his team to enter the exams. He might not have participated in the political arena since he refused to sit on his council seat, but he wasn't called a genius for nothing. He knew, with his group, he had to nominate them. Thankfully, they had the sense to back out even if it did put him in hot water with the Hokage. Asuma wasn't in the same position.

"Practice," Asuma admitted dryly. "My team has been lucky. They haven't seen any real violence on their missions, including their C ranks ones, just starving vagrants. The exam is the safest way to impress upon them that this is not a game and if they don't put in the effort they will die and painfully."

"I see." He did. If they hadn't run across Zabuza and Haku, and the whole fiasco that was Gato, he would have entered his team for that very reason. While they were young, they were old enough to be brought painfully back to reality. Being a ninja was dangerous, tedious work. Only the best survived and even that wasn't true. The best died gloriously in battle while protecting their village and loved ones. The truly special lived long enough to have children and the miraculously talented and experienced, and plain old lucky as shit saw them grow old.

His team had a lot to live up to and plenty to fear. He wasn't foolish enough to think that Naruto's secret wouldn't venture out of Leaf. One day his adorable blond would become a major target because of his tenant and heritage. The same could be said for Sasuke. Itachi was out there getting stronger every day and no one knew why he left his sibling alone, but most believed there was an insidious reason. Also, his bloodline made him a target for other villages too. He knew Cloud wouldn't pass on the chance to kidnap a bloodline user, especially if they could effectively guarantee their village was the only one with the ability.

They were willing to kidnap Hinata when, even if they succeeded, she would have been one Hyuuga baby-maker compared to a Leaf loyal clan of them.

Sasuke was the equivalent of prime real estate on foreclosure.

Everyone would be gunning for him and he didn't mean just the fan girls. Speaking of…

"Asuma, bare with me for a moment, but you went through the full term at the academy, right?"

"Yes," he said with a grin. "Unlike some, I was just smart. No freakish genius."

Kakashi ignored his shots. He was on a target and needed to focus. "And you had friends of both sexes there, right?" Even as a child Asuma was a ladies man. Though then they just considered him to be the sweetest charmer ever.

"Yup." His grin widened.

"Did the girls learn how to press flowers and dress, then?"

He chuckled. "Hell no. Let me guess. You're having trouble with Sakura, right?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yeah, I'll admit I didn't realize the problem until now. I've, uh, been focusing on teamwork and just started building up their individual strengths."

Asuma nodded his head in understand. "Ino was and is still a problem. I'm thinking of having Yugao speak to them. Heard she talked to Gai's female genin and well, she's a powerhouse."

"Think I could get in on that? I don't exactly have much experience with women, let alone teenage girls," he admitted.

Asuma's booming laughter rang through the air. He didn't fault him. Kakashi's social skills or lack thereof were widely known.

It was long past dusk, so there wasn't much cloud watching to be done. Still, Shikamaru stayed. Sasuke watched as his long fingers idly twirled the chopsticks in his hand. "What do you plan to do with the land now that the houses are gone?"

Sasuke twitched at the question. It was the last thing he was expecting. This wasn't the first time he and Shikamaru ate together. They ate breakfast, lunch, and now dinner together. This was the longest amount of time Sasuke spent around anyone who wasn't his teammate. Even then individual training broke up the time. Even in Wave.

Shikamaru decided his training ground was the perfect place to cloud watch. Thankfully, he moved several feet away when Sasuke asked. By the fourth hour he started handing out tips on what to do to improve his taijutsu and ninjutsu skills. He wanted to ignore the pineapple headed genin, but he couldn't. The other brunet was right. So with Shikamaru as a sensei Sasuke started improving little by little.

He was strongly considering having the boy look at a few scrolls he found in the wreckage of the destroyed clan houses. These weren't clan moves, just jutsus the clan "learned" from downed enemies. So far he hadn't any luck finding any new Uchiha specific moves. He had the scrolls from his immediate family and most of those were fire-based jutsus and the advanced taijutsu moves his family favored. It seemed his clan were a bunch of packrats who coveted skills from other villages and used them as they fit. There were no real Uchiha moves, just jutsus that each family tended to favor.

He found everything from Earth to Wind ninjutsu and taijutsu moves.

Sasuke wasn't quite sure what fit him best. Something told him Shikamaru wouldn't have the same problem.

Stupid genius.

And that was a blow to his pride.

Sasuke was smart. He knew this and it wasn't because teachers and village members told him he was intelligent. He knew how long it took him to figure out a problem and how long it took others. Shikamaru blew his best times out the water. Without even trying.

Maybe that was why he was so lazy. Nothing was a challenge.

He only needed to think on a problem for a couple of minutes and boom: he had the answers to all of life's questions.

Lucky bastard.

It seemed every Nara was just as brilliant…and lazy. Shikamaru was both the best and the worst.

So he shouldn't have been surprised by Shikamaru's comment. He always was several steps ahead of the rest. Sasuke knew he couldn't keep his destruction of the clan houses secret forever but he didn't expect to be found out so very quickly.

He wondered if Gaara told anybody but doubted he would. The redhead didn't seem like the type to talk to anyone without heavy prompting.

Sasuke was still trying to figure out why he allowed the Suna ninja, ally or not, to help him tear down the clan homes.

"Troublesome."

Sasuke lifted his head. He'd dropped it in his pensive mood. He considered the question that got him started on his thoughts. "I haven't really thought about what to do with the land," he admitted. "I just tore them down a few days ago."

Shikamaru blinked and raised one dark eyebrow. Sasuke surprised with him his admission. He wondered which sentence shocked Shikamaru.

"I thought you tore it down months ago," Shikamaru said, answering Sasuke's unasked question.

"No, just two days."

His gaze straightened. "Alone?"

"No," Sasuke admitted.

Shikamaru's gaze became pensive and then inquisitive. Sasuke got the distinct impression he was a puzzle the brunet was trying to figure out. He gave Shikamaru all the time he needed to think through whatever snagged his attention.

"Do you know why he did it?"

Sasuke dropped his chopsticks. They landed hard in his soup and splashed the hot water all over him. He jerked back as the scalding water landed on his arms and face. "Fuck!" He grabbed a napkin and wiped his arms and face, grimacing at the feel of the cloth against the suddenly sensitive skin. Then he lifted the bowl and cleaned the table. When he placed it back on the table, he found Shikamaru watching him with cautious eyes.

"You're a brave little shit," he bit out.

No one talked to him about Itachi or the murder of his clan. It wasn't just because it wasn't polite. Over a year ago, Sasuke attacked a jounin he had the nerve to say some disparaging things about his clan and implied Itachi did them all a favor. The jounin was court-martialed, but it was a little unnecessary. In his anger, Sasuke injured the ninja gravely and damaged his Achilles heal. He could never work as a ninja anyway. He could barely walk.

Thankfully for Shikamaru, he was no longer that angry bastard.

At least not nearly as angry.

"He wanted to test his strength," he replied through clenched teeth.

Both of Shikamaru's eyebrows lifted at his answer. Then his forehead scrunched up in confusion. "That makes no sense." He shook his head. "No, it doesn't fit."

"Why not? My clan is dead. I think he proved his point. He's stronger than all the Uchiha combined."

Shikamaru swallowed thickly. No doubt he realized he was walking on thin ice and it was getting thinner with every question. "If that was true then why is not out there proving his strength now?"

It took Sasuke a few seconds to think past the red haze Shikamaru's earlier comment brewed. Then he simply stared at Shikamaru. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Why didn't he battle the Hokage or even our elite ninja? Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't he disappear before anyone really knew what happened."

"Yes," Sasuke answered tersely. He was didn't remember much about that night. He vividly remembered Itachi slaughtering their clan but after that was fuzzy. One thing he did remember was waking up in the hospital and being told he was found by ANBU who were investigating the unusual silence that surrounded their clan lands.

"Even if you say he didn't find any of our ninja to be a challenge why haven't we heard about some epic battle between him and one of the S-class nins the other villages have? The current Raikage is notorious for starting and finishing fights. Then there are Mist ninja."

"I…I…. I don't know," Sasuke stammered. He brought up a good point. If Itachi really wanted to prove his strength why would he just kill their clan and no one else? He should have heard about Itachi fighting and besting or losing to someone else. Instead he dropped of the grid. There was another thing that confused him. "He killed the children, even the littlest baby. And he was crying," he whispered, head bowed.

He said the words in the lowest voice but judging from the way Shikamaru's hands clenched, the brunet heard him.

None of it fit. None.

Naruto rubbed his hands against the dark blue fabric of his pants to warm them up. He was a little chilled and that always helped.

He was also nervous.

"Lost again?"

The enflamed circle at the end of Chiko's cigarette caught his attention and held it for a moment. Then the dark man took it from his mouth and threw the butt behind him. It landed in a thick brush and almost immediately Naruto could smell the acrid scent of wood burning. His hands automatically flashed through a water jutsu and doused the cigarette and brush.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," he grumbled.

Chiko grinned. "Needed to see if you still had it." He tilted his head to the side and peered at Naruto. "Though I noticed the lack of a water bottle."

Naruto flushed, remembering the time when he never visited the slum lands without one. Chiko was a born pyromaniac and was constantly trying to start a forest fire. Dangerous considering where the shadow village was located. The new jutsu was a result of many hours spent sparring and learning with Haku. You didn't walk away from weeks training under Haku and not learn a water jutsu.

"You do that just to piss me off. Don't you?" Naruto accused, realizing that Chiko would never endanger his people with a fire.

His grin widened. "Gotta get my kicks somehow," he replied. "Leadership can be so boring."

Naruto growled. "Is that so?"

"You'll find out when you become Hokage. Now, stop pussyfooting around and tell me why you're here. I know I'm handsome, but I doubt you'd trade Haku in for me."

"No, I prefer to top," Naruto retorted. He didn't like to think about people talking about him and Haku like that. Their relationship was no one's business and he intended to keep it so.

"So, why are you here?"

"It won't be long until the dojo is open. I want to know when I can come by to speak to the villagers and introduce the dojo and offer some training."

Chiko didn't respond for some time. Naruto felt every second in his bones as time seemed to tick by agonizingly slow.

"You free now?" he finally replied.

Naruto straightened in surprise. He knew Chiko would be receptive but he hadn't expected such open arms. While Naruto might be familiar to the villagers from all the times he visited, he expected to have to return to speak to the populace. Slummers were cold to outsiders. They saw themselves as a very separate group and didn't appreciate people from the other side. They were burned one too many times by them. He knew Chiko would need to introduce him and soften the people up. It seemed he wouldn't need to do as much as Naruto anticipated, which was a good thing. Kakashi needed students. "Yeah," Naruto choked out, feeling honored by what wasn't said. He was trusted by the shadows.

Haku flipped open the small mirror he always carried with him and checked his appearance. He looked nothing like he normally did. His skin was darkened to resemble Iruka's, and he was wearing heavy makeup that altered his features. He snapped it shut pleased with what he saw and strode down the street.

He walked a weaving path until he reached Leaf's most notorious buildings. It was a hotel that charged hourly rates and was frequented by whores plying their wares. No one looked at him. To them he was just another whore in a thousand looking for a john. Haku was dressed as one of the many streetwalkers that weren't good enough to join the houses. The houses only wanted the best, the male and female children of nobles and landowners who fell in hard times or the truly beautiful common person.

He walked farther down the street, making sure to stay out of sight of the streetlights. Finally, he reached his target. He walked to the back and rocked three times in rapid succession, paused, and then knocked five times slowly. It opened to reveal an old woman. She was aged by time but still beautiful. A former geisha. She sneered when she spotted Haku. "Go to another floor. This one has been rented for a special client." Then she attempted to slam the door in Haku's face. It didn't happen. The umbrella he shoved against the door prevented that.

"A client is expecting me. I have a meeting with the base of the tree."

She blinked rapidly and then paled. She opened the door wide and stepped back. "The first room on the right. Have a blessed day."

"May all your days be blessed, Mother," he said with a deep bow. There was no telling when he would need connections in this world and it was best not to cut off any possible avenues. Plus, whores, especially the accomplished ones who gain old age, deserved respect too.

Haku stopped in front of the indicated door but before he could knock it opened. Two icy faced ninja stood on either side of the doorway. "Password?" one questioned.

"The cherry blossom withers in spring," Haku replied.

The two ninja stepped back to reveal Danzo. "What do you have to report?"

"He has arrived and we made contact," he answered before one of the guards closed the door behind him.

Danzo didn't say a word. He just pursed his lips and looked at him in consideration. Haku wanted. He knew the older ninja already knew about Kimimaro's entrance into Leaf and their contact. Considering how many eyes he had on the village it would be impossible for him not to know. There is also the fact that he warned Haku about Kimimaro's pending appearance.

Haku knew the Elder had something to do with Kimimaro's stay in Leaf. He just didn't know the how's or why's. Haku planned to learn them and soon.

"What have you learned?" Danzo finally asked. Seemed the ancient warrior didn't know everything.

To my Lovely Readers,

Please review. I would especially love to hear what you think about Reza and the children introduced. Also, anything else you feel is review worthy, whether good or bad.

Until my next post, my Lovely Readers.
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Warmth of a Cold Touch