Yeah, this is one of those 'too good to be true' situations where ALL of team sevens' members are present and accounted for and getting long swimmingly. Sasuke is there because I say so. Sai is there because I heart him and his demented ways. Sakura is there because Naruto wanted her to be. Kakashi is Kakashi. Naruto is there because Naruto is LUFF!!

B e A R e a l i s t

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?" The blonde continued to slurp his noodles and barely acknowledged Sai's voice.

"You're an orphan right? Who were your parents?"

Naruto looked up, a stray noodle still between his lips and blinked at the boy who stared steadily back. He didn't notice the rest of his group fall silent and stare mouths hanging open, food half chewed or frozen in front of open mouths.

It was only pure shock of the voiced question that held Sakura back form punching the artist into normalcy for his lack of tact. And it was deeply rooted curiosity that held the Uchiha back from snapping Sai's neck. Kakashi had paused reading midsentance, however his eyes continued to follow the lines.

Naruto finished his mouthful, swallowed and took a sip of his water. Then turned and gave Sai a thoughtful expression. The silenced group watching every action. Waiting for the answer. The outburst. The explosion. Or even the Implosion. Anything!

"Well, I dunno." Naruto answered honestly. Sasuke and Sakura blinked. Kakashi turned a page of 'Icha Icha Heaven'.

The artist had no change. "No one has told you?"

"I never asked." Naruto shrugged and moved a noodle about in his soup.

Sai frowned gently. "Why not?"

The blond made a sober face and contemplated his food for a moment.

Surely even the entire street could hear team seven's rapid heartbeats by now.

"Well, see, if I asked, I'd know the reality of it. And if I know who they are I can never go back to just imagining them."

"So you would rather go on in ignorance then have the truth ruin it." Sai nodded.

"Exactly!" Naruto grinned.

"That's stupid!" Sasuke cut in acidly, the bar turned to the Uchiha who glared at the blonde. "A part of knowing who you are comes from knowing where you came from, Dobe."

Naruto scowled. "That ridiculous! Hows knowing who my parents were, help me in the future? All I need to know is where I'm going, not where I came form."

Sakura cut in the Uchiha response.

"But for trivia's sake, aren't you curious?"

The blonde spun around. "How so?"

Sai stirred his food methodically. "For all you know you could belong to a prosperous clan, or be the soul heir to thousands." He gave Naruto a less-then-interested look. "You may even have a blood limit."

The blonde took a moment to process this before he began laughing at the idea. "Yeah Sai! That's my deep dark secret! I've got a rich powerful clan behind me with secreted powers." He scoffed and went back to is noddles, shaking his head at the ridiculous notion.

"It is not impossible considering you admit to no idea about your parenthood." Sai told him unchanging.

"They could be poor old fisher marketers too." Naruto snorted and then frowned softly at his food. "Besides, even if they were some rich clan. I wouldn't want to know them."

This caught the group's attention.

"Why not?" Sakura cut in the softest tone she could manage.

He looked at them, confused they didn't understand.

"Well it'd mean they were alive for one." He started, frowning. "It'd mean they were alive this whole time." He saw they still didn't understand and sighed. Continuing in a subdued voice.

"No one ever actually said: 'Naruto, your parents are dead. That's why their not here.' Everyone just assumes. It's not like anyone ever gave me reason to think they weren't dead either. But it's possible they're alive, always have been, right here, maybe even knowing who I am; and they just ignored me." he snorted and turned back to his bowl, suddenly not hungry. "Why should I want to know anyone who would do that to me? Whatever their excuses were, they'd sound pathetic to me."

They looked down, understanding what he meant.

"I'd much rather pretend their dead. Its sound's horrible, but selfishly, I prefer it to the alternative. And in my head, they had no other family but each other. But also that they were happy and wanted me and loved me and circumstance just didn't turn out that simple." He grinned and picked up his chopsticks again. A good sign.

"So I'm happy in my ignorance. So why change that?"

They didn't have an answer to that, so they stayed quiet for a little while before Kakashi hummed a little and mentioned the time to himself out loud. His students snapped back into daily thought and Sakura instantly leapt form her seat berating Naruto and Sai- who were the only ones still eating- for taking their time when they were all supposed to be at the training grounds over fifteen minutes ago.

Sasuke stood, Sai politely finished and pushed his bowl back, and Naruto tried to finish his fifth bowl before Sakura could drag him away form it.

As Sasuke and Sai walked ahead in silence and Sakura pulled the blond ff his seat by the scruff of his neck, Naruto noticed the jounin still seated and happily captured by the pages of his book.

"Kakashi Sensei, You coming too?" Naruto called loudly. The jounin tilted is head to one side a little and waved a hand dismissively at the blond. Eyes never looking away form their mark.

"Oh no. I'm fine where I am."

Naruto snorted and shoved his hands in his pockets and moved to catch up with the other three. Muttering something about 'pervert teachers' and the 'stupid books' that took their attention away from him.

Kakashi smiled, waited a few moments and then turned a page back to read what he had pretended too before.

Since he had first become team sevens teacher, he had been waiting for that question. Waiting for the blond to ask it himself. Waiting for the question to be directed at him and have to lie wen he was asked. That question was almost painful to him as it would have been Naruto. That past was gone and Kakashi could only dwell on so much.

It had never come. And he was overwhelmingly thankful for it. And now it had past and he knew Naruto would probably never extend the question to him. Even if he did find out and wanted to know more.

At least the blond was happy for the moment.

Turning around, Kakashi watched his students disappeared at the end of the street and wondered for a brief moment if Naruto really didn't know the truth.

For an ignorant dream, it was rather accurate.