. oh damn, ex-nae last ending…this is officially the last chap unless there is an epilogue…which is still in the air. Thanks for clearing that up dutchm4n. My apologies…it's not easy thinking straight at 3 in the morning when you have the flu laughs nervously. All I was doing was writing. Got ahead of myself…but here goes nuttin!

And, before I forget something more important: I don't own Naruto, I do own this fic.

Now You Notice Me

After Kakashi's and Ayame's "alone time" was over, their desires a bit quenched. Ahem- they decided to go into town for breakfast.

Walking into the café, they ordered the same plate, except Ayame's eggs were sunnyside up and Kakashi's were over easy. "So, I suppose you accept the sun more now?" Kakashi teased.

Ayame cast a glance at him and sipped her coffee, "It's nice to see you without that ridiculous mask out in the sunlight, yourself Shi."

"I guess neither of us have a reason to hide ourselves."

"Suppose not." she smiled and they started eating.

They felt eyes on them a while later and looked over. Naruto and Sakura's eyes were wide. "Kakashi Sensei?!" Sakura gasped.

"No way!" Naruto pointed at Kakashi's face, "Where's your mask?!"

"Where's your silence?" Kakashi asked.

"Oh…uhm…" Naruto piped down and took a seat next to Kakashi as Sakura took a seat next to Ayame.

"So what makes you two wake up so early? You don't have any training, this is your resting day." Ayame said.

Sakura smiled, "Me and Naruto agreed to meet up here for breakfast but he was late…so I guess it's brunch." she laughed a bit.

"Meet? As in, a date?" Kakashi smirked at Naruto's blushing face.

"Oh…I wouldn't call it that…" Sakura started.

"What?! What do you call last night Sakura?" Naruto asked.

"NARUTO!" Sakura blanched.

"What? What happened last night?" Ayame's curiosity perked up.

"Nothing…" Sakura said quietly.

"Yea, like a kiss is nothing." Naruto said proudly, crossing his arms.

"Gah!" Sakura hid her face in her hands, blushing.

Kakashi's eye widened a bit, he had his headband over his Sharingan. He may have opened up under his mask but his Sharingan was nothing to be sporting around. "Really Sakura, is it that bad?"

"Well no." Sakura's fingers started to twiddle.

"Was it good?" Ayame teased.

"Yea, actually, Naruto is one helluva kisser." Sakura beamed and then thought about her words, "Oh man." she sighed as her head hit the table in a THUD.

"Ha! Believe it!" Naruto chimed.

Ayame and Kakashi both started laughing.

After breakfast and accompanying the children with their brunch, the four set out on town. Ayame nudged Kakashi's arm and he looked over. He smiled as Sakura and Naruto were talking and holding hands. Naruto said something and Sakura looked at him strangely and as if she just understood what he meant, giggled.

"You should smile more, Sakura." Naruto gave his little corny, closed eye smile.

"That could go the same for you." Sakura pointed out and looked around.

Some of the villagers who had grown to accept Naruto bowed a bit as they passed. The others, didn't shy away but you could see they still needed time to warm up. She hadn't realized how afraid others were of the only person that never left her side, besides Kakashi. And he had already made a name for himself as a respectable Shinobi.

But as she began to feel sorry for always treating Naruto the way she did, he tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at the blond haired, blue eyed boy and quirked her head a bit, "Yea?"

"Stop looking like you want to cry." Naruto said. "That's the worse pain I've ever had to go through, you know?" he paused, and as if reading her mind, "Even though the villagers know what I am, and I know how I was treated, it doesn't bother me half as much as seeing you shed a tear. And if it's for me, it makes it that much worse, Sakura. So quit beating yourself over it."

Sakura smiled a bit, "Thanks Naruto. You really are swell."

"Believe it!" Naruto beamed.

Kakashi and Ayame heard his words and Kakashi matched Naruto's proud smile, "He's truly grown up. I didn't think he'd mature so much."

"I am beginning to think that he always had been mature, even if he was the village clown." Ayame said and looked to Kakashi, "We just never sat down to hear what really taunted him."

"I believe you may be right. Again." Kakashi said and looked back to the kids and then around the village, "I think he'd make one hell of a Hokage."

"Probably just as wild as ever too." Ayame snickered.

"I think that's what this village needs sometimes."

--

When the four stopped to rest from their "walking off the food walk," they sat near the memorial and talked of old times, well, at least Kakashi and Ayame did.

Sakura and Naruto got bored about the first 5 minutes and began sparring off with each other. A kick there, a shadow clone jitsu here, a few ninja spikes over yonder…

And when their weapons and chakra were worn out, they went hand to hand combat style.

As much as they were only playing around and didn't really mean to hurt each other, they were still training as if it were the real thing. Sakura spun around with a tornado kick, Naruto grabbed her leg and she tried to backflip but Naruto caught her other leg and she went pummeling to the ground.

"Oops!" he knelt beside her as she caught her breath, which had been just knocked out of her, no big deal.

She glared at him and knocked him back with her hand, which he instantly grabbed and lost balance in the process from the training session. He, instead, toppled forward. On her.

She lost more than her breath that time. That nine tail harnesser stole it! Naruto had fallen directly on top of Sakura where their lips met-again. They were becoming quite acquainted with each other on the lip locking this past week.

"Well, I must say, Naruto must be a good kisser for you to accept another one." Ayame interrupted their frenching as Kakashi stepped up beside her.

"Ayame! Kakashi Sensei!" Sakura blushed and pushed herself up, Naruto falling over.

"OW!" Naruto rubbed his head and looked over, "Why do you have to interrupt the best parts?!"

"They are so meant for each other." Ayame laughed as the two of them glared and then, at her words, blushed and looked away.

"Yes, just think. Little nine tails with pink hair running around the village." Kakashi said.

Sakura paled, "Hey! At least wait till we're married, alright?!"

"So! You have already proposed, hmm?" Ayame asked Naruto.

"Not yet but hey, if she's already willing to--oomph!" he landed in the ground by Sakura's hand.

Her veins started popping, "You guys are unbelievable!"

"Yea…but I don't really think you are disagreeing with anything, Miss Sakura." Ayame grinned.

Sakura blinked and then sighed. "No, not really."

"That's nice to hear. Would you like a formal or a quick wedding?" Ayame teased.

Sakura fainted.

----

And the rest…is up to the imagination J All Naruto has to do now is propose and then they start sprouting out kids…yea…I mean, they are of age now . ;;

Sorry bout the last goodbye to the story lol. And if there is an epilogue…well cough sorry for this one! Lmao

kage1586