(Discontinued until further notice) Naruto: The Truth Beneath the Surface

Chapter 39: Just Keep Swimming

HaHA! I have taken over! This shit is about to get crazy! Get prepared 'cause YUKI'S KING NOW! BOW DOWN, PEASANTS!

--Yuki <3

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Kakashi: 12 years old

Yuki: 12 years old

"I honestly can't tell if you're joking or not."

"I never joke about Piña Coladas."

Kakashi didn't know how long they were walking but they had, somehow, ended up talking about their lives. It was mainly trivial information- they didn't trust each other enough to reveal anything more- but, sometimes, they would throw something in there that they knew wouldn't be all that meaningless in the long run.

For instance, Yuki's allergic to strawberries.

Kakashi can't stand eating crab.

Yuki was obsessed with Piña Coladas (apparently) to a point where you couldn't even tell if he was just shitting with you or not.

"Good to know," Kakashi nodded like the conversation was totally normal and he wasn't completely lost already. "How do you feel about swimming?"

Yuki went oddly silent for a moment, cutting himself off of his rant about how Kami made Piña Coladas for him and only him. He looked at the Hatake before looking away and shrugging, "It's okay. It's not really my thing."

Kakashi knew there was something there but decided to drop it. If the mission was going to be a successful one, they needed to be in each others' good graces. "It's fun. I like it. Favorite dessert?"

"Popsicles," The answer was immediate and Yuki almost looked embarrassed by that fact. It was like no one had ever thought to ask about him and the raven-blonde was taking advantage of the fact that someone actually was. "I, uh, like the orange ones."

"Really?" The Hatake gave him an eye-smile, "I like grape."

"Eh, it's okay," Yuki suddenly smirked, turning around to face the silver-haired Jounin while walking backwards. "When we get back to Konoha, do you want to see if we can bully the Old Man into giving us some?"

Kakashi was a bit surprised that the other would want to still be around him (he had thought he had annoyed the Jounin just by breathing) but accepted the invitation in stride, "Yeah, sounds fun."

"Great, I-" Suddenly, the raven-blonde went still and his body tense, all emotion leaving his face in one split second. His right hand went to one of his hip pouches while the other was up and motioning for Kakashi to get down behind some bushes.

"How many?" The Hatake asked quietly, voice barely a whisper in the wind.

"Five that I can detect," Was the equally quiet response and the raven-blonde shifted so his left hand, his finger tips, were touching the grass below them. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, chewing his bottom lips in concentration, "Yeah, I can only sense five. My senses are being messed up by the river nearby. I think someone put seals next to it or something."

"Okay, we can deal with this, right?" Kakashi looked over at Yuki, searching his face.

Yuki scoffed quietly, raising an eyebrow at the other, "Of course we can. I mean, I know I can. Don't know about you though, Hatake."

"I can handle myself just fine," Kakashi said, though there was something almost close to playfulness in his tone. Woah, when did that happen? They hated (he was almost positive) each other at the beginning of the day and now they were bantering like two old friends that have known each other for years.

"Riiight," Yuki's lips were quirked up in a small smile and he rolled his cerulean eyes. "On a count of three, let's beat some asses, yeah? One, two-" Without even finishing, the Jounin flipped up and out of the cover and all Kakashi could hear were screams and cries.

"Ugh, come on!" He went after him, idly grabbing a couple kunai, "At least save some for me!" When the Hatake actually caught up with the other Jounin, Yuki was holding his own quite well. This was the first time he had ever seen him fight and, he had to admit, he was (kind of) impressed. Only slightly, though.

Yuki was ducking and weaving past attacks, a vicious smile on his face, like he was enjoying the battle playing out. His strikes were hard and fast, and he never stood in one place longer for a few seconds. Part of it seemed to be because he seemed to be a fast fighter and part of it seemed to be because he had too much energy to actually stay in one place. Kakashi could see, though, how he became a Jounin.

The Hatake joined in, distracting two of the ninja while Yuki handled the others. They worked well together, moving past the other easily without uttering a single word. It was like they needed no words. They functioned like a well-oiled machine and Kakashi was a bit giddy of the fact that he may have found someone who could be his new partner in missions. He could not get Gai. (Dear, Kami, no!)

Just as Yuki finished off one of his and Kakashi the same, there was a flash and the Hatake found himself blinded for a moment. There was a ringing in his ears and his vision, slowly but steadily, was returning in little spots. There were shouting and more fighting, some stumbling, and Kakashi was sure that Yuki was trying to fight while blind.

"Kakashi, duck!"

The silver-haired Jounin did as told without question and could feel air pass by him and the sound of a kunai hitting a tree behind him. He jerked his head sharply up when there was a nothing shout and something falling into the river that Yuki had mentioned earlier. Suddenly, he couldn't hear the raven-blonde anymore and Kakashi's heart lurched when he realized something.

Y U K I F E LL I N.

Kakashi forced chakra to his eye, wincing when it burned slightly as it tried to heal itself rapidly. Once his vision was clear, he could see that some of the ninja were starting to surround him while others were on the ground bleeding. No doubt Yuki had done that before he fell.

He was overusing his chakra, he knew, and his recently-obtained Sharingan but he had to get to Yuki. Something about the way the raven-blonde talked about water and swimming got the Hatake thinking and he had a horrible thought in his stomach that was only confirmed when Yuki didn't come up for air.

Yuki can't swim.

Kakashi was all speed, hurrying and taking care of any ninja that tried to attack. His mind was only set on one thing and it was that Yuki needed him. Kami, how long had he been in there? Once they were all down (it took too long, in his opinion) he quickly dived into the (rather large) river. He could barely see in the murky water and was glad that Yuki's hair was so unnatural. His blonde streaks stood out in the dark, like a beacon guiding him, and Kakashi swam over, grabbing him and kicking to the surface.

The silver-haired Jounin broke the surface with a gasp, scrambling onto the grass. There was the lack of noise from Yuki and the Hatake quickly turned the other on his back. He didn't know what to do. If he gave the raven-blonde mouth-to-mouth, that was just insuring Kakashi's death. But, obviously, he couldn't just leave him like this.

Luckily, he was saved from actually having to do anything when Yuki started coughing and sputtering, turning on his side. He coughed water for a couple minutes and Kakashi rubbed his back soothingly. "F-Fuck," The raven-blonde cursed, voice shaky from being underwater and oxygen-deprived. "Dammit, that was stupid."

"You fucker!" All Kakashi could feel was anger and relief. Yuki almost died. What if he didn't make it in time? What if he drowned? "I can't believe- You can't-"

"Thanks, Kakashi," Yuki interrupted his broken rant, a nice smile playing on his lips. "Thank you."

"Fuck. You're welcome. Dammit."