It was a few weeks after Naruto learned who his father was and that his sensei had been the Yondiame's student. One day after Sakura left after training, he decided to approach Kakashi about it.

"Kashi-sensei?"

"Hmm?" The silver-haired ninja did not look up from his book.

"What can you tell me about my father?"

Kakashi's book fell out of his now limp hands.

"I-it's okay if you don't want to talk about it..." Naruto stuttered quickly. He had not thought that this would be his sensei's reaction.l

"It's fine, Naruto. You should know about him. Let's go to my place to talk about this."

"Okay!" the blonde agreed cheerily. It did not escape his attention, however, that Kakashi's grey eye seemed dulled somehow since he had first asked about his father.

Once they reached Kakashi's tiny apartment, Naruto sat on the bed while the Copy-nin perched on the edge of the apartment's lone chair, appearing as uncomfortable as a person could possibly be.

"So?" Naruto prompted curiously.

Kakashi sighed before replying. "Minato-sensei was Jiraiya's student, just like you. When I was a kid, Jiraiya was good friends with my father, so he and minato came by fairly often. Minato was much like you when you were younger: mischievious and hyper. But, he was also a genius, coming up with his own jutsus and earning his own nickname when he was just a teenager. He was always saying I was too serious and trying to cheer me up."

"So he was young when he was your sensei?"

"He was ten years older than me when I was apprenticed to him," Kakashi quickly did the math in his head, "meaning he was sixteen."

"You were six when you finished the academy?" Naruto exclaimed.

"No, I was a chunin at six. For a year after the academy, my father was the one who taught me. I was five when I graduated." Kakashi corrected.

Naruto was rendered speechless.

"Anyway, he was kind, happy, and generally the most wonderful person I have ever met." Kakashi summarized suddenly, seeming to want to end the conversation. His eyes held a dreemy look when he mentioned the last thing, though. Naturally, Naruto immediately noticed this.

"Was he just your teacher? Or was he something more to you?"

That caused another sigh. "That is why I wanted to come here; you should know everything about your father and I'd rather you hear this from me than some random stranger."

"You loved him, didn't you?"

"Yes, he and I were lovers for years before the Kyuubi attacked. Kushina was an arranged marriage by the Council in order to continue the Namikaze bloodlune. Don't get me wrong, Minato-sensei still loved you as much as any parent would, but he didn't actually love Kushina as more than just a friend."

"But wouldn't the Council have tried to do that to you? I mean you are the last Hatake."

"Yes, Naruto. They have tried to fix me up with several women over the years, but I haven't wanted to be with anyone since Nato died."

"Was he good to you, at least?"

"Yes, Naruto Nato did everything I ever asked and more." Kakashi sighed and pulled off his hitai-ate to reveal the scar and the Sharingan. "After Obito and Rin joined our team, we had to be careful for a while. He was twenty and I was ten; yes I know I was really young. Anywayy, I was careful until Obito walked in on us the night before my first jounin mission when I was fifteen. He was going to bother Minato-sensei into going to get ramen with him, and when he didn't answer the door, Obito barged in and caught us in a less-than-ideal position."

"Thanks, sensei. I know this can't have been easy on you." Naruto said, sensing from the tired look on the Copy-nin's face that the conversation was over.

"Naruto, there's-no, nevermind." Kakashi stopped himself.

This hesitation naturally peaked Naruto's curiosity. "What is it?" he asked eagerly.

"Ask Jiraiya about Minato if you really want to know. I need some time to think."

"See you tomorrow."

As soon as the blonde was gone, Kakashi yanked down his mask, panting like he had been suffocating because of the grief that was threatening go overwhelm him. His heart ached in fresh reminder at the loss of his lover.

"Pervy-sage, I was asking Kakashi about my father, and after a while he told me to ask you about him." Naruto asked the white-haired man later.

Jiraiya looked shocked for a moment. "Kakashi actually talked about Minato?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Kakashi hasn't spoken about Minato since he died. He usually doesn't mention the ones he's lost, even when asked. What did he tell you?"

"That you were friends with his father, so he saw Minato when he was a teenager. That he was my father's student, and that he and Minato were lovers until he died."

"He told you they were together?"

"Yep. He wasn't lying when he said my father was good to him, was he?" Naruto was worried his sensei was trying to protect him from an ugly truth, and was truely worried about the silver-haired man he'd become fond of.

"Of course not! Do you really think anyone could take advantage of your sensei? That brat's been scary ever since he entered the academy at four! No, they were so crazy about each other that it was olmost unbelievable."

"He was goint to tell me something else, but he froze up.:

"He was probably going to tell you that right before the Kyuuvi attacked, Minato proposed to him. He and Kushina were going to split up so that he and Kakashi could raise you together. Kakashi was still the one who raised you until you were old enough to take care of yourself even after Minato, and he was even the ANBU agent that protected you until he became your sensei."

"Kakashi-sensei was ANBU wolf?" Naruto gasped.

"Yep, kid, that brat's been saving your hide ever since you had a hide to save. You're all he's got left of Minato and he's gotten quite fond of you, so don't go getting yourself hurt." Jiraiya warned, smirking a bit despite himself.

"I won't Pervy-sage! Believe it!"

~Fin~