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The rain makes his cloak heavy, but it is the steady gaze of his team that weighs him down, their silent concern pressing against him. Naruto knows they mean well, knows they are willing him to accept it, endure it, to collect himself and go after Sasuke again. And Naruto wants to live up to those expectations. Wants to walk away from this with determination, to keep trying no matter how many times it takes. Wants to be strong enough for himself, for them, for his village. Stronger, even, for Sasuke.
But the concrete is not so much broken as shattered, and the black flames that rage around them smell too much like death. Even the rain can't wash away all the blood. Naruto's fists are raw where he has them pressed against the white paint of the crumbling Uchiha crest, and the broken lines make him wonder who fell first. If Sasuke cried when he finally killed his brother. If Itachi was really trying to kill his.
Head hanging between his shoulders, Naruto's eyes burn and he struggles to keep himself together. He just needs long enough to meet those heavy gazes, to find the last grasping shred of what's left of his determination. He doesn't need even enough for smile, really - just enough not to come apart.
He was so close, but even though he knows he will get closer next time, old wounds still feel fresh and open. And the memory of Sasuke's chidori through his clone in the forest makes the concrete blur in front of him despite his struggle. Only his shaking shoulders give away the emotions he's holding in check.
Kakashi gives the order to make camp in the nearby forest and Naruto registers the sound of wet cloaks flapping as the rest of the team departs. The moment they are gone, his face crumples and he collapses.
A pair of familiar arms are there to catch him.
Naruto has been caught by them so many times now, he simply sinks into their strength. He makes no protest as Kakashi pulls him in against his chest and props them both against the broken wall. Instead, he clutches at the familiar fabric and presses his hot face into the curve between a warm neck and the dark green collar of the jounin's vest.
Kakashi yields to his burrowing without complaint and embraces him. Naruto gives in to emotion, and cries against his sensei until there is nothing left but the two of them in the rain, together.
Naruto stays where he is long after his tears - and the rain - have stopped. Kakashi's hand is cool and sure on his neck, the long fingers carefully tracing tendons and scratching lightly at his scalp. There is an arm looped around Naruto's waist, a large hand holds his hip, Kakashi's thumb stroking slowly, the motion warm and soothing through mesh and cotton.
Their heavy cloaks provide sufficient shelter and the heat of two bodies builds the longer they embrace. Naruto shifts, but is not uncomfortable. Kakashi adjusts to the motion, pulling Naruto closer until both warmth and certainty surround him.
Naruto's despair fades in the presence of comfort and familiarity. Kakashi smells like wood fire and forest and home. He is tall and solid and so very strong. Stronger than Naruto. Still.
In the midst of his musings, Naruto is not as surprised as he probably should be when warmth becomes arousal. Kakashi's hand is still buried in the soft, wet hair on the back of his neck and the touch makes Naruto shiver with awareness. And he knows it's okay that his erection is digging into Kakashi's thigh, because Kakashi would have said something if it wasn't. Or he'd start reading his book.
But he's not reading and he's not saying anything and before Naruto can worry about what he's supposed to do next, Kakashi's hands are moving again. The one on Naruto's hip slips between folds of fabric to find bare skin and the touch makes Naruto shiver and close his eyes. Kakashi follows Naruto's spine down, and down again, and then does something mysterious and so perverted it makes Naruto's breath stutter and his hips roll and that makes everything pressed between them rub together.
It feels so fucking good Naruto moans and rocks into it and Kakashi makes a low, humming noise of approval - the same noise he always makes when Naruto has done something unexpected and moronically ingenious and so like Naruto. The sound is so achingly familiar a chuckle bubbles up in Naruto's throat. He pushes closer and trembles at how hard Kakashi is, and how hard it makes him, and wonders why in the hell they haven't done this before.
Then Kakashi's breath is hot against his ear - too hot, asking Naruto a question and Naruto opens his eyes and looks up and has to ask Kakashi to repeat the question, twice. Because.
"Are you okay with this?" Kakashi murmurs again, his voice low and mellow and saturated with an unfamiliar heat.
Naruto knows that Kakashi is not asking about what they are doing - Naruto is Naruto, and Kakashi is Kakashi, and they are a team and this is just one of a hundred different ways to define it. He knows that Kakashi is asking instead about where they are doing it - if it is okay here, in this place. Where Itachi died. And Sasuke got away, again.
But Naruto does not hear the question the first time and cannot answer it second time because the mask is down and it's Kakashi's face. His whole face, and his nose is straight and his mouth is wide and it's his entire face. And it's a good looking face (handsome, even) and it's so Kakashi sensei.
So instead of answering, Naruto kisses him.
Kakashi's mouth is warm, his lips cool, his kisses sharp. Naruto shudders every time Kakashi instructs by example, then lures him - with teasing, careful licks - to copy. Copy him. Naruto is not surprised that Kakashi is an excellent instructor in this, of all things.
Kakashi works a thigh between Naruto's knees and Naruto parts them. Kakashi unfastens Naruto's pants and slides a hand through the panels and works his fist around Naruto's length and this time when Naruto moans, it sounds broken. He has to open his mouth wide just to give all the sounds room to fall out and Kakashi's tongue takes unfair advantage as he pulls Naruto close, and closer again, still stroking. And when Kakashi tightens his fist and captures Naruto's tongue and sucks on it a little, Naruto comes so hard he can only open his mouth wider and twitch.
After a few shaky breaths, Kakashi takes one of Naruto's hands and slowly guides it between them. Naruto catches on quickly (with this, at least, he is familiar) and when Kakashi comes - the heat of it pulsing wet and strong against Naruto's fingers, soaking dark fabric - Kakashi doesn't make any sounds either.
+
They join the others at the campsite without speaking and very little of the awkwardness Naruto expected. Their silence is careful and there is only one lingering, concerned glance from that single, uncovered eye before they each bed down for the night on opposite sides of the fire.
When Kakashi wakes him for his turn at watch, the only thing out of the ordinary is the hand he lays on Naruto's sleep-rumpled head. Naruto answers the unspoken question with a short nod and a small, crooked smile, and Kakashi returns it with a familiar smiling eye and a quick squeeze of Naruto's shoulder.
For the first time in a long time, Naruto spends more of his time on watch counting the stars, rather than pining for things lost to the darkness.