Prologue

"No!" You don't understand," the flustered young man groaned, finally catching the attention of everybody in the lobby. Immediately, he noticed the eyes of the few visitors who sat nervously in their cushioned seats; they were probably put on edge by the fact that he had resorted to yelling. He was hoping that his entrance would be discrete and painless enough, but it was already turning out to be more than a bit hopeless. "I'm not a patient. I'm a therapist."

The blonde woman, with the nametag "Ino" pinned to her tightly buttoned blouse, finally tore her pale blue eyes from her computer screen in order to scrutinize him further. Her expression became more incredulous, shifting from the previous expression of utter boredom as she raised a brow in speculation. "A therapist? How old are you?" she asked though her tone still suggested disbelief.

"Old enough for it to be none of your business!" he answered through gritted teeth, his patience gradually failing him no matter how long he tried to endure. There was only so much he could take when things were not going the way he had expected.

"Right," she replied with a skeptical nod before she turned her attention back to the computer. "So, is your visit court ordered or voluntary?"

"For the love of—"

"Ino, could you refrain from tormenting our apprentices?" a voice cut in before he could mutter any of his colorful replies.

"Apprentice?" she asked with a glance back to the disgruntled youth. "You want to learn here?"

"Wanting has got nothing to do with it," he mumbled under his breath before turning to the other person standing behind the counter. "Are you Kakashi?"

"I am," the silver haired man answered with a welcoming smile. "You are Naruto Uzumaki?"

"I am!"he affirmed with a quick smug look to Ino who rolled her eyes.

"Thank you for arriving on such short notice. When we lost one of ours for sudden leave of absence, I couldn't think to call anyone but Iruka," Kakashi explained with a beckon towards his office. "Who knew he would have taken on such a young apprentice."

"It's a long story," Naruto assured with a weak smile. A long story that he no longer had the energy to tell. If he had to guess, he'd say that Kakashi and his guardian, Iruka, were old colleagues. There was actually very little he knew about that man who had taken him in many years ago, but there was always enough understanding to figure out that they both needed one another. Iruka was the kind of man who never indulged in bringing up tales of the past, but even without that knowledge Naruto trusted him more than anyone.

He took a second to look around the spacious office. All the furniture was dark green felt with mahogany bookshelves lining the two far walls. The long couch to the right of his desk must have meant he held sessions in his own office. His diplomas were lined down the wall directly behind his chair along with carious achievements and certifications, further reminding all those who chanced to gander at the wall the he was very capable of doing the job right. The room was simplistic in design and décor, but it was that one wall that truly revealed the importance of the man before him.

"You seem taken with this office, Naruto," Kakashi spoke up as he took his seat.

"I'm just admiring your lack of personality," the blond mumbled as he sat in the chair across from him.

"Hey!" Kakashi yelped defensively with a stressed point to the couch. "At least you know my favorite color!"

"Right," Naruto replied with a quick look toward the bookcase. "No pictures, no personal belongings or even favorite books."

"That information is relative don't you think?" Kakashi added with a sly smile as he leaned forward into his palms. At a closer look, he realized that the other man was quite striking. He had slender features, yet they were defined in the sharp angles of his face, seeming somehow weary. Perfectly symmetrical with a pair of dark eyes gazing almost listlessly at anything; it was as if he did not care for whatever he looked at one way or the other. Aside from the shimmering spiky locks of silver, his most defining feature was most definitely the long scar that trailed over his left eye and down to the middle of his cheek. What the hell could have done that?

"What do you mean by relative?"

Kakashi gestured to the couch once more. "To whom I'd want to share that information with."

That made sense. Naruto had no idea of the patients they held in the Konoha District, but to make visits to the assistant head doctor you'd have to be a very particular case.

"I guess that's true," Naruto huffed thoughtfully.

"However, that that was quite astute of you," Kakashi added. "I'm impressed. Iruka mentioned that you also have a natural knack at reading people."

"I'm a good guesser," he admitted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "He's probably just trying to talk me up."

"Talk only gets you so far, I'm afraid," the man chuckled as he stood to walk to his bookshelf, his steps were practically soundless against the soft red carpeting. "It takes more than guessing with these cases, Naruto. We need intellect."

He nodded slowly, trying to force a bit more confidence into himself. Iruka chose him for more than the fact that he was Naruto's guardian. He must have had the mind, but it was always hard to tell with Iruka. How much of that praise was favoritism?

"I know that, at school, you wanted you relationship to be a secret," Kakashi commented as he ran his slender fingers over the blank leather spines, "but there is very little that Iruka can keep from me."

Naruto's head sank slightly, his gaze now refocused on his bag. "Is he that bad of a liar?"

"You're his pride and joy, Naruto. You expect him to never share that? A bit selfish, don't you think?"

"He didn't tell you, did he?" Naruto questioned, shifting his stare to meet Kakashi's.

There was a strange shudder that ran up his spine when he had the full attention of the other's eyes. It was both unnerving and exciting at once. He did not know what to expect from this man, but he seemed to have a genuine belief in Naruto's abilities. That alone was enough to make him want to do his best. He could show Kakashi that he could handle anything.

"No, he didn't," Kakashi finally answered, his fingers lightly pushing against the bookshelf as it slid along the wall to reveal several large filing cabinets. "Iruka and I are very close. That is why he cannot hide anything from me."

"Close?" Naruto reiterated with a raised brow. "He's never mentioned you." That was a bit irritating. If this was someone important to Iruka then why was this the first time he was hearing of it?

"Don't frown so much! I might get the impression of jealousy."

Naruto nearly choked on thin air. "W-what? Of you? Don't flatter yourself! I heard your name for the first time the other day. How special could you be?"

Kakashi chuckled with a shake of his head. "I was told that your temper flares up easily, but I find it quite cute at how simple that was."

"Go f—" Naruto bit his tongue, not wanting to feed the man's amusement any further. He could feel the redness flushing his cheeks, burning all the way to his ears. "Whatever! Let's just get down to business!"

"Of course," the man agreed with a faint hint of a smirk. He pulled at one of the cabinets, his fingers running over the various files before plucking one from the group. "There's a certain case that I want you to work on. It's a big one, but I believe you can do it."

"Something so serious right off the bat?"

"Well, we'll just have to see how you do," Kakashi sighed while waving the manila folder in his hand. "I'd like you to hold a session so I can observe how well you handle it."

The file was tossed into his lap, drawing his eyes down to the name at the top. "19 years old." Three years younger than Naruto. "Patient suffers from bi-polar disorder ranging from extreme aggressive episodes to slight depression," he glanced up at Kakashi once more. "This is a big case, you say?"

"Let's get going," Kakashi said with a smile as he held the office door open to usher him out. "We don't want to be late for our appointment, do we?"

"So soon?" Naruto jeered quietly. "Just when I thought we were becoming friends. You don't want me to tell you more about me?"

Though the statement was obviously a joke, Kakashi's smirk became more evident as he put his arm across the doorway, stopping the blond in his tracks. "Though your request suggests otherwise, you cherish Iruka more than anybody. The way you slouch in front of me already means you aren't as guarded around me, probably because I'm the one who will be guiding you and it is more comfortable to trust in that. You may not admit it, but you take being here very seriously seeing as you're actually wearing slacks instead of jeans. Also..." he paused, removing his arm in order to scratch lightly at his chin with his index finger. "I'm guessing you have some serious issues of your own."

Naruto gaped at him in astonishment, torn between being offended and admiring the man's perception. "H-how—?"

"You're not the only good guesser in this world, kid," Kakashi cooed with a playful wink before leading the dumbfounded apprentice down the hall.

The long hallway that led away from the center of the front lobby was a pale blue and was as desolate as it was plain. It seemed to stretch on for miles, leading in to the heart of the facility where the true madness lied. The only exit was the way they came, and Naruto imagined that anyone who tried to run down this hall could easily be intercepted before they reached the center. At the end of the hall, they approached a large metal door with a young man sitting on the other side of reinforced glass.

"Dr. Hatake! Good afternoon!" The boy cried out energetically. His eyes were wide with thick brows that took up a good portion of his forehead which was also half covered by a budget bowl cut at best. "You've brought a guest?"

"Afternoon, Lee," Kakashi greeted while flashing his ID. "This is Naruto Uzumaki, our new apprentice."

"It is very nice to meet you!" Lee exclaimed with a low bow before a loud buzz sounded over Naruto's weak 'likewise'.

The door slid open with the sound of crunching gears as they stepped into the small enclosed space. There was still another metal door in front of them and Lee was still isolated behind another glass plane. As the second door slid open with the same mechanical groan, Naruto noticed only one black camera looking down on them as they walked into the patient lobby.

Few patients walked about the room in various faded scrubs of green, orange, and blue. There were a couple long brown couches scattered about the area along with two televisions and some tables. The provisions were simple enough to ensure some degree of comfort, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for those who earned their free time and ended up spending it in a room like that.

"Colorful," Naruto commented wryly while trying to ignore the awkward stares he was receiving. In a place that kept them confined behind two metal doors, they probably were not used to getting visitors.

"The four colors represent the different severity of each case we deal with. It makes it easier to work around. Green class is our most improved and well behaved. Blue are the ones who still need improvement with mild defiant traits. And orange," he explained with a point to the few that sat about the room, "are the ones with behavioral issues and could lash out unprovoked."

"And the fourth color?" Naruto asked, his eyes scanning the area for a shade that was set apart from the aforementioned colors.

"White," Kakashi stated grimly, his eyes suddenly fixated on the clipboard in his hands. "Severe disturbance."

There was something ominous about the way he said it that made a shiver run down Naruto's spine. "How severe?"

"White are deemed extremely dangerous and most, as you can see, have lost most human contact privileges," he explained as he led the silent blond to a sealed door at the far end of the room. "Some suffer from mild to severe and have unhealthy violent habits."

"Sounds like bad news," Naruto mumbled, anxiety easily weighing on his voice.

"Only if you don't know how to handle them," Kakashi reassured as he slid his ID through the slot, opening the door to a long white corridor with a line of doors at either side.

"How do you handle something that dangerous?"

"Are you scared?" Kakashi questioned with a mocking smile as he stopped before a room with the number 17 painted in black at the center of the door.

Naruto did not bother looking through the small window, instead, glaring at the smug doctor. "Tch! Yeah right! Like anyone in your care could possibly scare me!"

"I thought so," Kakashi mused before pulling the thick metal latch to the side.

The door pulled open, revealing a fairly spacious room with a thin metal frame bed and a single chair pushed under a small desk. There was a boy, the same height as Naruto, dressed in orange leaning against the wall.

"About damn time!" he snarled, pushing himself from the wall to put his hands to his hips. "You kept me waiting!"

Naruto refrained from checking his watch as he pulled the chair back to put a comfortable amount of space between them.

"And who the hell is he?" he growled with a distinctive point to the blond stranger.

"Afternoon, Kiba," Naruto greeted calmly, appreciating the fact that Kakashi had remained silent since they entered. "I am Mr. Uzumaki, or Naruto, if you prefer. I'm here for your afternoon session."

"Like hell!" Kiba spat with another dramatic point to Kakashi. "It's either the old man or the freaky dude that does my sessions! Why should that change?"

"I was brought here merely to help out," Naruto explained, looking down at the file. There must have been something in there that could help break the ice.

"We don't need your help, thanks. I was doing just fine!" The brunette seemed to be growing more agitated, and Naruto had yet to ask him anything of importance.

"What does Dr. Hatake do that you don't think I will offer you?" Naruto asked, putting his pen to paper.

"Suck my DICK!"

"Excuse me?" he asked, his voice suddenly becoming lower as he glanced up at the audacious boy.

"That's what he does!" Kiba continued as he thrust his hips with a suggestive gesture to his crotch. "So get to it, blondie!"

"Interesting," Naruto mumbled thoughtfully as he focused all of his attention on the paper.

"What's that?" he spat.

"I had no idea you were attracted to men," Naruto answered, not once looking up, "It says it nowhere in your file."

"And like hell it ever will!" Kiba snapped as he advanced forward and threw the folder to the ground. "Like some piece of shit paper is all there is to me!"

"I suppose you're right," Naruto sighed, twirling the pen between his fingers. "What doesn't the file say about you?"

"It doesn't tell you that I'm fucking awesome!" Kiba cackled, though his features began to soften somewhat. "And it probably says nothing about my dogs back home."

"Oh!" Naruto chimed in, leaning forward. "You have dogs? How many?"

"Last I saw," Kiba announced smugly, "we had around 20 with another litter on the way!"

The blond let out a short whistle with a shake of his head. "I'm not sure how I would keep track of that many pets. I had a pet frog once but, sadly, it died within two months."

Kiba let out a huffish scoff. "That doesn't surprise me. People who don't know how to fucking take care of animals don't deserve to try! Every single one of my dogs loved me and not one of them ever died because of my stupidity."

"I suppose I deserve that," Naruto said apologetically. "Did you ever have a favorite?"

"Akamaru," Kiba responded automatically as if the answer should have been obvious. "He was the runt, but I raised him and we grew up together. He is my brother and we taught each other how to be strong!"

"I see. Well, too bad Dr. Hatake gets to know about all that or I'd ask you more about him," Naruto replied with a sly smile. He stopped writing altogether, folding his hands neatly atop the paper in wait.

"W-wait!" Kiba gasped, clamping a hand over his mouth. "You tricked me!"

"Tricked?" Naruto asked with a raise of his brow. "You were the one who seemed so eager to explain yourself."

"Don't fuck with me!" Kiba snarled before lunging forward, tackling the blond out of his chair.

"Kiba!" Kakashi exclaimed, opening the door and shouting something down the hall.

The boy's hand had a tight grip around the young man's throat, his teeth bared as if he were a rabid dog. Up close, Naruto could see the details in Kiba's rough skin, from the wild brows that were knit together in a threatening scowl to the faint scars that ran across either cheek. Still, Naruto made no move to knock Kiba off him or react with the anger he felt heating in his chest. Instead, he gazed into the boy's livid stare no more pleasing than it was vicious. After a few seconds Kiba's erratic breathing suddenly calmed and his glare faltered, his grip slackening as he backed up, utterly baffled.

"What—

"Get over here!" a rough voice shouted as two male nurses stormed into the room, tackling Kiba back onto the bed.

"No! I was good!" he pleaded, thrashing violently at the sight of the large needle that one of the nurses held in his hand.

"Wait!" Naruto called after them, sitting upright as they jammed the needle into the boy's arm. Kiba screamed, his voice resonating off the walls and making him shiver before the shouts died down and he was forced into submission.

"Sorry, sir," one of them spoke as they laid Kiba across his bed. "There's no stopping him once you get him started."

"I had it under control," he spat, heaving himself to his feet while grabbing his notes from the floor.

"Not from where we were standing," the other remarked blankly as they walked out, "You're welcome, by the way."

"Kiss my ass," he muttered as he snatched the last of his papers from the floor.

"I'd hardly call his hands around your neck having control of the situation, Naruto," Kakashi commented as he closed the door behind them and led them back down the hall. "For someone who's prone to temperamental outbursts, you seemed surprisingly calm."

"Don't try to diagnose me, Kakashi," he snapped lowly as he set his notes in order. "I was merely observing. There's no harm in that."

"You mean you meant to provoke a possibly dangerous patient to observe how far he's go?"

"Dangerous isn't the word I'd use to describe Kiba." Naruto replied with a shake of his head. "Just a bit on the wild side."

"I cannot say I really approve of your methods," Kakashi continued, his tone skeptical. "The entire case could be thrown off balance that way."

"But we share a more intimate relationship because of it," he pointed out as they reentered the green office. "Sometimes, intimacy can be the perfect ice-breaker."

They passed by Ino who gave them no look of acknowledgment and entered the, somehow soothing, silence of Kakashi's office. The silver haired man grabbed the papers from Naruto, making his way to his desk though not quite making it to his chair as he read over the apprentice's notes. He leaned against the edge of his desk, his eyes roaming every line and margin studiously.

Naruto stood behind one of the green chairs, his fingers absentmindedly running along the soft fabric and creating small squiggly designs as he awaited the doctor's response.

"These are some... interesting responses," Kakashi finally spoke up after a few minutes, glancing up at Naruto for a moment before looking back at the paper.

"I wrote it out like Iruka taught me," Naruto shrugged, "Using everything he gave me and asking the proper questions. Is there something wrong with that?"

"I'm talking about what you put in the margins."

"Those aren't a part of the report."

"'Loud mouth.' 'Right after you fuck yourself.' And countless 'shut up's," Kakashi pointed out as he set the papers down and turning toward his filing cabinet.

"Like I said, those have nothing to do with the actual report. Kiba is all bark but no bite," Naruto stated as he took a seat. "At least, until you actually piss him off. It's not hard to tell that he still treats others with the mild respect that he gave to his dogs. He was aggressive yet gentle to each of them and invested enough time to get to know each one of his dogs and their personalities. I can only imagine that his dominant belligerence is a result of whatever incident occurred to give him those scars."

"Refrain from being arrogant, Naruto," Kakashi reminded him, his voice took on a foreboding tone that the blond was unsure of how to interpret.

"Whatever," Naruto sighed as he closed his eyes. "A couple more sessions and I'll have it down, though I don't believe that this was as bad as you made it seem."

"Because Kiba wasn't the one I was talking about."

"What?"

Thud!

A manila folder was thrown onto the desk without another word. Naruto looked up to notice Kakashi's features had become much stricter than before.

"Your method may be strange and somehow effective," Kakashi began with a sullen look to the front of the blank file. "That doesn't work for everyone, however."