Gravity

Surprise Visit

"I won't lie. I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my heart," Izumi said, leaning against the doorway. "In fact, I had to return your money because how pitiful your living wage was. The Hokage barely gives you enough to live on."

"Well, not anymore," Naruto said. "Since I'm now a ninja I pay for myself!"

"That's even worse." Izumi eyes the apartment. "You have to pay for everything yourself? And I doubt anybody taught you what to buy and when to buy it."

"Most people don't like me in the shops..." Naruto cringed, looking away, but grinned. "But a guy in a hound mask used to pick me up stuff. He was nice."

Izumi paused, then smiled fondly.

Of course it was Kakashi. Bending the rules ever so slightly huh? He and Naruto weren't supposed to see each other when they had been younger, for Naruto's safety, but that apparently didn't stop Hound himself.

"Though he kept trying to get me to eat vegetables." Naruto scrunched up his face. "It was gross."

"Well you gotta eat vegetables at my apartment, and turn on the lights when you wander about in the dark," Izumi said.

"Really? Why?"

"Just because." Izumi shrugged.

Naruto huffed. "I can walk about in the dark just fine."

"It's not about that. It's fine if you make a mistake once in a while, but that mistake might set me or Sasuke off to who we think might be an intruder."

"But you two know me?" Naruto tilted his head.

"And when it's late at night and we're half asleep, we might not. So, how about it? Wanna live with me and Sasuke?"

Naruto tilted his head. "I dunno... What does Sasuke think about this?"

Izumi snorted. "A typical Sasuke 'not caring' reaction. That was what I got anyway."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, that sounds about right..." But he perked up quickly enough. "Alright. I'd like to try living with you."

"Cool, wanna head over now? Sasuke's cooking dinner."

"Sounds good." Naruto grinned. "I love Sasuke's cooking. But don't tell him I said that."

"Yeah, yeah," Izumi dismissed the order. "You two really need to sit down and talk some time."

"Sasuke starts it."

"It takes two to tango. That means both of you are the issue," Izumi insisted. "And since Kakashi values teamwork so highly, I'd suggest you both get over yourselves."

"I bet you haven't told Sasuke that," Naruto huffed.

Izumi rolled her eyes. "I bet you haven't told Sasuke that," she repeated, in a whiny voice. "Of course I have! I'm not the type to hold back on my feelings to my pack. I let Sasuke know when he's fucking up, and when he's doing good. It's a healthy way for pups to learn things."

"Not dangling them out of trees?" Naruto asked dryly.

"Want me to go find a tree right now?"

"No!"

"Good, because I'd tell Sakura so she can work on her punches with her new punching bag."

.::.

Kakashi closed and locked the apartment door behind him. He stretched his limbs, basking in the emptiness of his apartment. There were no pups, hounds or people smothering his floor for the first time ever since he had been kidnapped.