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Safe House	By : dolphina23 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 987 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Naruto manga and anime do not belong to me and I make no money writing this.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
Author�s Note:
Your reviews were amazing. Thank you. Hopefully, this will curb the itch for
more. I�m trying my best to make updates periodic. Please forgive it if they
seem long in wait. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter! And, I�m glad you all
seemed pleasantly surprised at Sasuke�s early appearance. Someone mentioned
that it seemed as though I torture poor Naruto in all my fics. So far, I guess
it does, though I have another fic idea I hope to get around to eventually that
is focused more on Sasuke and his troubles. That one will take a while as I
think three is more than enough to start with. Plus, I can�t seem to help it. I
like seeing my favorite blonde-haired trickster in trouble so people like
Kakashi, Iruka or Sasuke can help him out of it! J I hope you all enjoy
the new chapter! It has more Naruto/Iruka/Kakashi development! Yeah!

Chapter�� 3

�� The hum and
swish of air filled the room quietly. Iruka settled into a new position on the
chair beside Naruto, trying to get comfortable. The tests had come back
positive for a mild case of pneumonia but Naruto�s fever had already begun to
recede. They were told if he continued to recover this quickly then he might be
well enough to be discharged later on in the week as planned. Provided, of
course, there were no repeat nighttime wanderings. Kakashi snored softly on the
cot the hospital had provided and Iruka glared at him. True, he had given up
the space, not wanting to crowd him. Or more likely, not wanting to risk
Kakashi�s devilish hands around his waist, but damn it, he just couldn�t sleep.
The chair that had looked so inviting before dug into his back in strange ways
he hadn�t imagined possible earlier that night.
�� Iruka,�
Naruto murmured sleepily from the bed. Iruka dragged his tired body up and over
to his side in moments.
�� Hey there,
Naruto. How are you feeling?�
�� Tired,�
Naruto answered, blinking drowsily.
�� Is Kakashi
asleep?�
�� Iruka
glanced at his partner again, this time smiling softly. He could never stay
angry for long. Kakashi told him it only meant he would be a pushover when
Naruto finally made it to the house. Iruka had sniffed and given him a cold
stare that grew into a lengthy treatment of Kakashi and all his attempts to
apologize being ignored. He could be just as infuriating as Iruka could be
petulant.
�� Yes, he�s
asleep,� he whispered, remembering Naruto finally.
�� He started
when he felt a gentle touch on his hand and looked down to see Naruto had
wrapped his fingers loosely over it. Naruto smiled wanly then grimaced and
coughed harshly. It had gotten worse since the paramedics had gotten him to the
hospital. Naruto made a face and accepted the cup of ice Iruka held out for him
but couldn�t seem to focus on it enough to draw any close to his face. So,
Iruka fed him a few and then leaned onto the bed. Of all the questions he had
asked himself, and all the ones Kakashi and he had discussed on the tense ride
back, one stood out clearly now.
�� Naruto,�
he started a bit hesitant, not wanting to make him upset and cause the built up
fluid in his chest to get worse. The tube running air into his lungs through
small extensions in his nose hissed softly. Naruto struggled to keep Iruka in
focus long enough to nod.
�� Do you
remember where you were before the overpass?�
�� Iruka held
his breath as Naruto seemed to consider the question quietly. He didn�t seem
distressed, other than not being able to pull in enough air that it wheezed as
he exhaled. It sounded horrible.
�� I was
someplace . . . special, I think,� Naruto said, frowning as if trying to remember.
Iruka felt his heart flutter. To a social worker that could mean any number of
things, not all of them good. A shifting of cloth to the right and Kakashi sat
up on the cot yawning.
�� Well, hey
there, kid. What�s up?�
�� Naruto
frowned at him and looked at the ceiling. He actually looked at it, as if it
should be obvious but was confused by the fact that Kakashi had asked. Iruka
felt his face tighten and pull down. He felt old suddenly. Maybe they really
weren�t ready for something this involved. Kakashi reached out and grabbed his
free hand, Naruto still clutched warmly around the other, and squeezed. The
doubt was still there, deep seated in his mind, but he could feel the strength
of his lover in that grip. He drew in a deep breath and blew it out in one
large gust to settle the flurry of panic in his stomach. It helped.
�� So, this
special place,� Iruka settled around the words and his tongue fought the fear
of what might have happened. �Was there anyone there with you?�
�� Naruto
glanced at the sheet and sighed a little. His hands shook almost imperceptibly
and Iruka wanted to take them back. But Naruto surprised them by answering.
�� I think
so. But I can�t really remember why he�s not here now. I remember Taka. I
remember . . . I remember when I woke up that he was there smiling and he said
he would take care of me. �Cause I was special and I shouldn�t have nobody to
take care of me,� he all but whined and Kakashi rubbed at his arm and shushed
him.
�� It was his
turn, then, to glare at Iruka. There were doctors for this kind of thing. But
Kakashi�s anger dried nearly as quickly as it had been born when he saw the
wounded look in Iruka�s eyes.
�� Well, it�s
a good thing he was there then, to take care of you. If he hadn�t, Iruka might
not have nearly run you over with his car and then where would we be? I can say
I�d be at home, and this one,� he pointed sharply at his life-mate, �would be
curled on the couch snoring away after spending too much time at work. We�ll
all have a chance to do something different now.�
�� His voice
was soothing, and encouraging, though Naruto didn�t really understand
everything he meant. His mind rolled over what he�d seen in the past day and he
smiled again. It felt warmer than any other thing in the world, even the
distant memory of a gentle smile and a woman�s singing. And her scent . . .
what had that been like again? There was something wrong with that time, maybe,
but he couldn�t remember that either. He shied away, afraid and shuddering a
little.
�� Naruto?�
Iruka called softly. �Are you cold?� Naruto missed the hopeful edge underneath.
Anyway, who hoped for that? Iruka fought from kicking Kakashi back when he felt
a rampant limb connect with his shin dangling over the edge of the bed.
�� A little,�
Naruto lied. He knew that was wrong. Taka had told him. Someone else had said
that too; many voices in fact. One of them had been angry, all the time, always
angry and rough. He whimpered and curled up to hug his knees. When Iruka tried
to touch his shoulder he pushed away. His breathing became deeper, harsher, but
there wasn�t as much air as he remembered. He struggled to keep from coughing
even though his throat tickled and burned dreadfully. A nurse hurried in and
administered some kind of medication. Naruto�s restless struggles quieted
almost immediately and Iruka sighed a little in relief. He unclenched his
hands, barely noticing that he�d done it in the first place. Kakashi drew the
nurse aside and she glanced back at Naruto every so often as they murmured, too
low for either of the others to hear.
�� I
understand that we don�t legally have rights to his records yet, but I�d like
to have a copy made, if the hospital will allow it. I could use my capacity as
an officer, but would rather it not come to that.� The nurse gave him a guarded
look and then pursed her lips.
�� I�ll see
what his primary physician here has to say about it,� she answered gruffly, not
giving an inch. Kakashi smiled richly and her stern gaze faltered a bit.
�� Thank you,
and also, if we could get an extra blanket for him I�m sure he�d really
appreciate it.�
�� He smiled
cheerily at her as she went off in search of another cheap, hospital-issue,
cotton blanket and sighed as soon as the door clicked.
�� Turning
back he watched on, amused, as Iruka leaned as close to Naruto as he dared
without disturbing the restless slumber the sleeping medication had sent him
into. It was going to be a long night, for sure. But it was alright with him if
it meant they drew closer to bonding with the mall, lively child. It was even
better if they could garner more answers as to how he�d come to be left in such
a perilous and lonely place as that bridge.
�� Iruka,� he
hummed.
�� Iruka
continued to study Naruto thoughtfully and only reacted when Kakashi touched
his back lightly.
�� Iruka,
come to the cot with me. I promise to keep all hands in their proper position
the entire night,� he joked nimbly.
�� Hmmm? Oh,
yes, alright,� Iruka mumbled distractedly.
�� He rested
Naruto�s hand on top the bed gently after rubbing the back of it with his thumb
a few more times and settled into the cot. He sighed gratefully at the soft
mattress and the leftover warmth from his lover.
�� Kakashi?�
�� Hmmm?�
Kakashi heard the question just as he had begun to drowse off again.
�� This is right, what we�re doing, isn�t it? I
know it will be hard. It�s a long road stretching ahead of us I�m sure,
especially for him. But we are doing it right, aren�t we?�
�� Kakashi
grinned and kissed the back of his neck and nuzzled him tenderly. Iruka allowed
it for the comfort, even though it was definitely out of the bounds he�d set
while they were in front of Naruto, asleep or not. And they would stay that
way, Kakashi�s wonderful hands be damned, until they found a way to explain
things, delicately. Kakashi grinned wider, never mind that there had been two
separate questions, two separate concerns, in that plea. He knew Iruka well.
There was nothing more rewarding to him than helping a child away from danger
no matter the risk or how great the task seemed. It probably stemmed from the man�s
own childhood trauma, having been abandoned by his coked out mother who had
finally overdosed and his father, whose name no one even knew for sure. He
hugged Iruka tightly to him for a moment before letting the man breathe again. ��
�� It is right. Even though our intentions are
good, and that doesn�t always mean everything will turn out perfectly, we�ll
make it work. I�ve already been stocking up on psych books from the university.
I even got the name of a highly respected child psychologist and cognitive
therapist too.�
�� Kakashi .
. . really? When did you . . .� Iruka couldn�t hide his surprise.
�� Kakashi
chuckled lightly before being shushed by Iruka�s hand over his mouth. Iruka had
squirmed around to face him in order to so it so he wasn�t going to complain.
He did raise an eyebrow delightedly when the hand stayed there and Iruka felt
the heat of his breath on his fingers. Iruka dropped his hand quickly and
looked away. Kakashi nearly broke another cardinal rule and laughed full-out in
the presence of a sick, sleeping child again. That thought sobered him quicker
than a bucket of ice water and he settled for a thin smile.
�� I had time
late last night to visit the library. You know how late hey run for the college
kiddies,� he quipped. �As for the psych guy,� Iruka made a face at him over
that one and Kakashi kissed his nose. �I ran into him at the library while
checking out and he had the most intuitive questions. I thought, at first, he
might actually have been connected to whatever happened to Naruto.�
�� Iruka drew
in a hard breath and Kakashi rushed to quiet him.
�� Hey, you
think I�d have mentioned taking Naruto to see him if I hadn�t had the night
guys at the station run a very thorough background check first? Plus, you still
need to meet him before we take the squirt over,� Kakashi soothed.
�� Glad I�m
still a part of the process for you,� Iruka groused and Kakashi drew back,
feeling a little hurt.
�� But Iruka
looked just as wounded, so he let it slide. He snuggled in to his shoulder and
was rewarded, eventually, with an answering touch on his back as they caressed
each other affectionately for a few moments. A soft knock on the door heralded
the return of the night-shift nurse and they pulled away from each other, Iruka
standing to stretch his legs a little and open it up for her. She glanced in to
check one more time that Naruto�s breathing tube was in place and that his
oxygen level had come back up from the dip of a few minutes ago and nodded to
Kakashi. She handed the blanket over to Iruka who unfolded it and snapped it
out and over the boy. The nurse left, then, as silently as she�d arrived. Iruka
went back to cuddle against Kakashi�s shoulder a moment before turning over to
settle in for some much needed sleep. In the morning, when they came to take
Naruto�s vitals and give him another dose of antibiotics, he would be making
some more calls of his own.

�� Naruto awoke with an odd feeling in
his chest. It felt warm, though it wasn�t the heat of the room that caused it.
At least, he didn�t think it was. Shifting to his right, he saw that Iruka and
Kakashi had gone, the rumpled sheets on the cot looking a bit lonely in their
absence. Slowly, he rose up on his hands and reached out for the pillow at the
head of the bed. It smelled like Kakashi. His Kuma-chan had been resting
against it and there was a note pinned to the front. Naruto frowned. He
couldn�t read kanji. Well, he knew a few of them but they were always written
too small for him to make out. He�d been here for several days already and they
had either stayed through the night or visited long into the afternoon, far
past the time the nurses told him was allowed.
�� He smiled
at that. He wasn�t sure why. He should be taking better care of himself, as
Taka had taught him. He still didn�t know all that much about them, where they
wanted to take him, what they really wanted. But for the first time in forever,
he simply let things be as they were, waiting until there was a reason to worry
before actually doing it.
�� The lung
doctor, as he�d introduced himself to Naruto a few days ago, told him yesterday
that he was well enough to go home today. But he was waiting for Dr. Susuno. He
said that he would be stopping by today with his new glasses. Naruto worried
about them. Not how they would look or what people would think. He avoided
others as much as possible and had watched enough of them to know when they
were going to be awful, so he could run and find Taka or their little home
under the trains.
�� Naruto
sighed. He had a feeling that what really caused the knot in his stomach to
twist so much had to do with Kakashi�s job as a cop. Iruka . . . Iruka had
asked him . . . about before. He
struggled to try and remember more, because it had seemed so important and he
hadn�t wanted to make him sad. Deep down he felt it would be bad to remember
though. And that scared him. A knock sounded at the door and Naruto turned his
head to see Dr. Susuno�s outline entering, blurred and wavering a little. He
grinned vastly up at him and Dr. Susuno smiled. Well, that�s how it looked.
Naruto could never be sure every time. Sometimes, smiles warped perversely and
the faces he could barely make out through the blurred edges changed. Naruto
swallowed and waited to see if there would be any yelling, or worse, that
twisted face from his dreams. He took a deep breath, quietly so no one would
notice the shaking, and that helped to calm and smooth out the knots. Dr.
Susuno offered a hand and Naruto missed it only by a few inches.
�� Well, you
seem to be doing really well today. How are you feeling?� Dr. Susuno asked
kindly, taking Naruto�s hand in his own without commenting on the blunder.
�� Fine,�
Naruto answered quietly.
�� He�d been
warned by the nurses that he could get sick again if he was too loud or moved
around too much in the next few weeks, so he kept all his movements small and
whispered or murmured when people asked him questions. He wished Taka was able
to visit. That would make it easier to know the things they asked, or deal with
them when he didn�t.
�� Good,
that�s very good. I have something for you. But we�ll have to take another
trip. I�m sure you�ll hate it,� Dr. Susuno said morosely.
�� But
something in his voice told Naruto he didn�t really mean it. And yet, that
weird edge drove back the fluttering feeling in his chest. The worry came with
it. If he�s lying then maybe he really isn�t here to help? Maybe the glasses
were really some kind of awful device to take away the things he could see. Dr. Susuno laughed, a rich,
pleasant sound, and Naruto took another breath. He shouldn�t have let himself
get so worked up over nothing. Naruto followed Dr. Susuno out the door and
toward the elevator, struggling to hold back the urge to run on ahead. Were
they going to his office again maybe? It had neat things for him to look
through. He liked being there. It wasn�t at all like the other office he�d
visited the other day, with that Dr. Kusanagi.
�� Dr.
Kusanagi Raito was somebody Kakashi had brought and they had gone outside to
talk because he�d said that it would be more comfortable than the hospital
room. It hadn�t been. Naruto had squirmed and fidgeted in his chair until he�d
remembered the nurses telling him how he�d get sicker if he didn�t stop. He had
felt sicker after leaving. Dr. Kusanagi had wanted to know so many things, all
of them about before. He hadn�t said
a word. He wasn�t supposed to. He frowned, trying to find the face of the
person who had told him that. He recalled a soft, almost musical voice, a woman
. . . And she�d had that same smell he�d imagined when it had been so hard to
breathe. Naruto shook his head and hopped into the chair that Dr. Susuno guided
him to. He jiggled his feet, sure that it didn�t count as something he wasn�t
supposed to do.
�� Well,
let�s see how these work for you, alright?� Dr. Susuno commented cheerily.
�� Naruto
smiled, still a little nervous about how the glasses seemed to focus things. He
didn�t get it, but maybe he wasn�t supposed to. Maybe it was just one of those
adult things, like the reason trolls went after children. Taka would always
look away, sometimes confused, but mostly frightened, whenever Naruto asked
about �the goodies� they were after. So he�d stopped asking, afraid of hurting
his friend. He missed Taka already. He hoped Kakashi and Iruka could help him
get a place for his very own like they had said they would.
�� Dr. Susuno
slipped the glasses around his ears and then took them off and used some kind
of tool to bend the edges a little. Naruto narrowed his eyes to keep track of
it. When the glasses were re-adjusted and put back on, they didn�t slide down
his nose anymore. He leaned forward into the machine the doctor had told him
about on the last visit and read off the numbers at a different line. When he
leaned back, Dr. Susuno was smiling wider than before and Naruto could see it better.
�� Much
better, huh? The clouds in your vision will still be there for a while, but we
might be able to do something about them too, eventually. Hop down now, and
I�ll take you back to your room. Maybe Umino-san and Hatake-kun will be there
waiting to take you to your new house when we get there.�
�� The thought
of a house, one he could stay in without having to worry about his things
getting stolen or the very structure being ripped down by a storm or a very bad
man, made him excited. Naruto hopped off the doctor�s chair and nearly skipped
out of the room. He remembered, a little late, that he was supposed to take his
time. He slowed down marginally, unable to keep all the energy from being
cooped up in one white room or another from pushing his legs to move faster
than the doctor�s. Dr. Susuno Keita watched him for a moment and shook his
head. He hoped it panned out differently than he�d heard from the other
physicians and Umino-san while they whispered about possible evidence of past
abuse and a family they couldn�t seem to find. He liked Kakashi and Iruka just
fine, but the thought of such a bright and enigmatic young boy being treated so
harshly, even though he knew the realities of what some parents thought of
their children, made him desperately sad. He wanted it not to be, for his
biological parents to actually be
parents, if only for Naruto�s sake. He sighed, sadness crinkling the deep
creases near his eyes further, and followed at a quicker pace to catch up with
the boy.
�� But Naruto
stopped short and cried out. He turned to face Dr. Susuno, eyes wide.
�� Naruto,
what? What happened? Are you alright?� Dr. Susuno asked, slightly alarmed.
�� The
letter!� Naruto shouted and raced back to the exam room where he�d brought it
earlier. Dr. Susuno hurried after him and had to pull up suddenly as Naruto
came out of the room, face reddened and chest working laboriously to keep up
with the unexpected activity. At least he wasn�t sweating and he didn�t seem to
be feverish. But the doctor wasn�t going to take any chances. A setback now
would not be a good thing, for anyone involved with his case.
�� Naruto,
sit for a minute,� he urged, guiding the boy to a hard, plastic chair left out
in the hall for patients or visitors waiting for test results or harried
physicians to speak to them.
�� Dr. Susuno
reached into his pocket and drew out an ear thermometer that he�d swiped from
the nurses� station just in case. He held it to Naruto�s ear and waited for the
beep. When it sounded, he checked the device and nodded. His temperature wasn�t
elevated; that was good.
�� Well, now
that you�ve given me quite the scare, take a breath and calm down for me,� the
older man told him. He watched the boy take a few deep breaths and was
satisfied when his breathing evened out and a better color reached his face.
�� That�s
better. Now tell me, what was so important that you had to go through so much
trouble to get it, huh?�
�� The
letter!� Naruto exclaimed. He held the paper out to the doctor who eyed it
carefully before taking it.
�� Do you
want me to read it?�
�� Naruto
nodded. Dr. Susuno unfolded it and read through the contents quickly before
smiling.
�� Well, it�s
from Iruka. He says that they are going to come pick you up at five today. The
doctors are releasing you then. They�re bringing by a friend of theirs for you
to talk to first. She�s a social worker, like Iruka and just needs to meet with
you before they take you home with them.� The doctor tried to reassure him.
�� Naruto�s
face had gone from extremely pleased to near apprehensive as he�d talked. The
look had not gone completely but Dr. Susuno thought it was best to wait and let
the others know about it when they came. The boy hadn�t had much contact with
other people in his life before all these doctors and strangers had barreled
through it. Some time to adjust was certainly warranted. They headed back to
the room then, to wait.
�� Naruto, I
have other patients to see today, so I�ll leave you with the nurses. I expect
to see you again soon. Then, you and Iruka-san and Kakashi-kun can come see my
office.�
�� Naruto
blinked, a little nervous but still excited, at the chance to leave the
oppressive hospital. He grinned and waved Dr. Susuno away. He would be fine. He
had Kuma-chan and the nurses had all been good to him. He would be just fine
until Kakashi and Iruka came later.

�� Kakashi
fiddled with his jacket. They�d been waiting for Kurenai to bring the rest of
the paperwork for them to sign for over an hour. He understood the busy
schedule of a social worker. He lived with one, after all. Or they were going
to start living together rather than simply staying over at each other�s homes.
It wouldn�t be all that different. He was nervous all the same. So many things
had changed in so short a time. And they were changing still. He sighed and
shifted in the chair again.
�� Would you
calm down? She�s not going to eat you, you know.� Iruka remarked in the seat
next to him lowly. He reached over and held fast to Kakashi�s hand to keep him
from twisting it into his jacket again. Kakashi huffed out a dry laugh before
settling down only to surge to his feet as Kurenai came around the corner. She
smiled at them and beckoned for them to follow her to her office. Iruka placed
a hand on his back. He felt the warm pressure and instantly began to relax.
�� Kurenai�s
office was a deep shade of maroon, an awful color and had horrible, pliable,
wood furniture but the seascape prints on the walls and the large windows
overlooking the taller buildings in the west part of Shibuya helped to make it
less ugly. She slapped the thick folder in her hands down on the desk and
Kakashi fought to keep from cringing. If this was how some of the deviants he
questioned regularly felt, he had a new respect for those that could withstand
it.
�� Well, I�ll
cut to the chase then, shall I? We haven�t been able to contact his original
family. The point is moot anyway, as they stopped checking in with the
detectives in Missing or Exploited Children around the time he turned ten. They
grew suspicious of course, especially when they heard the couple planned on
moving. They live out of the country, the last anyone has heard, and that�s all
I�m allowed to tell you. They have no rights to him so fostering, or even
adoption, is acceptable.�
�� Kakashi and
Iruka stared at her. Kakashi glanced at Iruka out of the corner of his eye and
found the same stunned confusion he knew must be in his own eyes.
�� Uh, what?
His family is no longer interested in finding him? That�s a bit . . . cruel,
don�t you think?�
�� Kurenai
shrugged. The feeling that this was not the first time she had come across this
situation with a missing child, considering she wasn�t responding with the same
horror and confusion, hit him and he felt sad. At least Iruka had not become so
numb to the affects of his job, though a little less compassion might save him
from a nervous breakdown, or ulcers. Kakashi grunted and shook his head in
disbelief.
�� Well, I
guess it�s the best thing, really. If they are that callous, I�d hate to have
to hand him over.�
�� Kurenai
frowned and glared at him.
�� They could
only be doing what they see as best for their son, Kakashi-san. It�s more than
likely that they want to put any possibility of further trauma behind them
since he�s been missing for six years. He very well could have been in the
clutches of a pedophile ring, or a repeat child murderer. If they�ve had any
more children, they have their best interests to look after as well. And to
some parents, an emotionally damaged child to handle on their own is hard
enough.�
�� Are you
saying they�ve moved on, had more children, and then moved out of the country
to forget about the child they gave up on in the first place?� Iruka
questioned; sarcasm and anger escaping his mouth to run rampant inside the
room.
�� Now,
Iruka, I know how much empathy you hold for your charges, but it would be best
for all concerned if you let the matter drop. Trust me. From what you�ve told
me, Naruto needs help to acclimate to his new surroundings, to begin school,
and to learn to associate with people again. Leave it be, at least for now,�
she said sternly.
�� Wise enough
to know when to leave a volatile situation before it blew up, Kakashi held up
his hand and reached out to grip Iruka�s wrist laying on his thigh tightly.
�� It�s fine,
for now. We�ll concentrate more on the boy and his well being. Won�t we,
Iruka?� he squeeze down on the wrist he held and Iruka grunted a little. Using
those words probably made him sound harsher than he wanted but Iruka needed to
be brought to a stop before he pushed too far and jeopardized the whole plan. Kakashi
derailed his thoughts quickly. That was the last thing he should be using as a
comparison to a little boy without a proper home.
�� Yes,�
Iruka had to bite out through clenched teeth. Kakashi let go then, afraid he�d
actually hurt him. Kakashi nearly kicked him when Iruka smiled with a wicked
glint in his eye.
�� It will be
fine, Kurenai. You�ll be stopping by the house in a few days or so for the
first home visit, right?�
�� Kurenai
smiled delightfully then, and Kakashi had a chance to see that she was really
rather pretty. Her eyes were a strange shade of brown, almost a roan color and
her black hair fell in soft layers to just below her shoulders and shone
brilliantly. Her face was structured softly with a more natural beauty and pale
skin to offset it all. If he wasn�t so deeply in love with Iruka, or currently
into more muscle and a deeper voice than she could pull off, he might have
asked her out. Iruka caught Kakashi eyeing his co-worker and this time he was
the one to enjoy catching him off guard with a kick to the shin. Kakashi
grunted and winced, then smiled pleasantly at their hostess. Kurenai raised an
eyebrow and sniffed.
�� Yes,
that�s right. Don�t think you can con me about the exact date either just
because we�ve worked together on a few cases. Fill these out and sign where
indicated and then we�ll go meet the child. I�ll have his birth certificate and
any other medical information relevant to him delivered to your home later on
in the week,� she commented briskly.
�� After they
had finished with the laborious questions and she had taken back the clipboard
they all stood up. To Kakashi, it felt as though he was being measured and
weighed only to be found wanting by all who dealt with deprived or homeless
children. Thank God it was only a short twenty minute ride to the hospital and,
after Kurenai had met with Naruto, they could take him home to start getting
him settled in. Of course, being a complex and complicated person, that thought
arose in him a new set of insecurities but Kakashi pushed them aside for later,
or maybe never. Before he knew it, the elevator bell hummed, announcing
Naruto�s floor and they headed down the elongated corridor to his room. Why was
it that it felt like one of those dreams where there�s a long hallway they
seemed to drag on forever or a run you have to complete but can never go fast
enough?
�� The smile
that caught them as they entered made up for it though. At least, until Kurenai
moved from behind them and Naruto narrowed his eyes and pulled his face into a
near snarl. The look caught Kakashi hard and he turned to Iruka who he was
relieved to see fighting the same confusion.
�� Naruto,�
Iruka called softly. �Hey, we�re here to get you someplace better than a
hospital. You�d like that, right? This is my friend,� he continued, pointing at
Kurenai.
�� Her name
is Kurenai and she just needs to ask you a few things before you can come with
us. Okay?�
�� Naruto
didn�t nod but he didn�t try to run or yell either. Kurenai smiled at him and
turned to give Iruka a squeeze on the arm. Apparently, she knew what she was
doing because Kakashi, in all his years on the force, had never dealt with
this. A cage full of criminals, yes, even violent ones, he could deal with. And
even children, as they related to a victim or a suspect. But they were always
handled by a social worker eventually. He�d never had to spend so much time
around one. Perhaps this had been a bad idea. He watched Kurenai lean down and
tilt her head to the side. She smiled again and kept her hands linked in front
of her as she moved back to stand next to Iruka.
�� Well, let
me just ask this and I�ll get out of your way. Do you feel comfortable enough
with Iruka and Kakashi that you think you can get along? You�re not going to
start chucking pens at them if you�re alone in a room together, are you?�
�� Naruto
frowned. So did Iuka. The question was absurd, well the last one had been. He�d
never asked that to a child he was about to place. But Naruto�s eyes narrowed
and he shook his head slowly. He might not trust Kurenai enough to open his
mouth, but he�d lived a long time without many adults, even children, around so
it was understandable to Iruka. She smiled brightly and clasped her hands
together.�
�� Wonderful!�
She turned to regard the men in the room. �I�ll be by here and there to check
up and make sure. See you!�
�� She waved
to them and then turned to wave a little at Naruto, the smile gone from her
lips but still in her eyes. Iruka sighed. Kakashi blinked, unsure of it was
safe to do that just yet himself. Iruka chuckled and lapped playfully at his
arm.
�� Relax,
we�re in for it now, �cause he�s ours,� he said softly. Kakashi began to grin.
And even though Naruto had trouble understanding what they meant, whether or
not they were talking about him, he had a feeling they had been. That woman
hadn�t been here long for him to get used to her. He hadn�t liked how she�d
looked, but she was gone now and he was going with Iruka and Kakashi, to their
home. He smiled, wider and goofier than Kakashi�s lopsided grin or Iruka�s
sweet, small one. He was going to go home.
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Safe House