I Mean No Harm

by Jenkin

Summary:

Kakashi is the legendary ANBU assassin code-named Hound who will do anything to repay his debt to a certain chunin level teacher.

Chapter 1

ANBU, the elite assassination and tactical squad of Konohagakure, also commonly referred to as hunter nin, is a squad of elite jounin-level ninjas assigned S-class missions for the better of the village. An ANBU does not have feelings; they are sharpened tools of destruction used for whatever the village sees fit. They were hardened top-level ninjas serving their village in the shadows for the security of all. The shadows moved in the background, taking care of the dirty work most ninjas couldn’t stomach. The renowned skills of each ANBU were a priceless commodity for their village.

…

Kakashi brought his hands together as he evaded a kunai aimed at his heart, lightning pulsating from the palm of his right hand before he ran it through his final attacker's chest. He closed his heart off and remained unfeeling as he pulled his hand out of a mere pre-genin's tiny body. He wasn't Kakashi, he was Hound, the ANBU assassin who had been sent on a mission to kill the emperor's grandchild and only heir from the Land of the Stone. Hound took a scroll from out of his pack and released the body of a missing mist-nin with kunai haphazardly thrown into his body to look like the work of a pre-genin, alongside a fatal blow to the back of the head. The ANBU leaned down and placed the mist nin's body near the dead bodyguard who had so valiantly tried to save the young boy from the mercilessness of the ANBU with a wooden sword but failed.

 He shook his head at the sight of the sword and smeared blood on the blunt weapon. Who in their right mind would attack an enemy without an actual weapon? Hound had not been expecting that and had to make sure the man hit the dead mist nin's head before he killed him. It was his lucky day that the mist ninja he captured had also been a known lightning user who was a copycat of the infamous Copy Ninja. Konohagakure could not afford any inconsistencies in this line of work.

He looked around the room and disappeared without a sound, arriving several miles from the mansion in time to hear the scream of a presumed maid. Her shrill scream alerted the ninja that had been loitering outside, mission complete. Hound turned around and sped back to Konohagakure to report. Only stopping occasionally to make sure he wasn't being followed and to eat a soldier pill to give him extra stamina. He couldn't remember the last time he ate a real meal; food was a luxury that ANBU simply did not have.

Hound stopped on a tree branch, out of sight, as he watched the group of genin watching the border for anything suspicious. A mere D-rank mission as they were only to report and never engage in battle. Hound did not want to mercilessly kill any more genin that evening if he did not have to. He readied a kunai in case he was seen and teleported past the border soundlessly as he continued homeward. Though home didn't mean anything to him, he was a weapon.

Several hours later, he passed through the gates of Konohagakure, not even bothering to check in with the guards. He was Hound, the legendary ANBU that village kids idolized, and the older ninja respected from a distance. If an enemy ever saw his mask, they knew it meant only one thing: certain death. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop as he made his way to headquarters. His footsteps were so light that when he landed, they didn't even make a sound.

Hound disappeared as he used the transportation jutsu for the third time that day. He kneeled and looked down at his feet as he reported to the Head of ANBU, second in command to the Hokage. The second in command stared down at him with his hands behind his back, silently waiting for the ANBU to report. His unflinching behavior was able to unnerve even the best ANBU, though Hound was used to his superior’s treatment. Hound had been working as an ANBU since his teen years, it was second nature to be used to the cold welcome.

"Mission Complete, Stone will think it was Mist who attacked them," Hound said simply. He silently awaited his next mission, which was simply how things worked in ANBU. Short and quick to the point was how the ANBU were expected to make their verbal reports, as he would file a formal report of the mission the next day. Hound didn’t bother trying to gauge his supervisor’s reaction to the news as his face was also concealed by his own ANBU mask. Mission complete was generally considered at least satisfactory.

"Your next mission is another S-rank. Take a team to dispose of a group of missing Leaf nin located near the Sand Village Border, exterminate all.  They are jounin-level ninjas with their numbers estimated to be approximately twenty, collect the stolen scrolls they plan to trade, and report back." Hound nodded, and instantly, four other ANBU appeared at his side simultaneously once they were summoned by the head. The team exited the group and set off for the Sand village border while Hound briefed them on the mission.

They arrived at the border within several hours, and Hound took another soldier pill to sustain him. He signaled to the four to surround the camp, frowning underneath his mask, he had a bad feeling. Hound threw in the smoke bombs, and the ANBU leaped to strike their target down. He soon realized he was right about the bad feeling he had; the camp had gained reinforcements. They had doubled their numbers, which they had stealthily kept hidden until they were attacked.

Even if he was the legendary Copy Ninja with Sharingan, there was no way five ANBU could take on forty-elite missing-nin. Especially if they were all jounin level or Ex-ANBU themselves. Hound turned in time to see one of his comrades struck down with a lightning and water combo jutsu. That left four ANBU; he had to find the scrolls, or the mission would fail. He ran into the nearby tent and grabbed one of the sealed scrolls, just in time to dodge a poison senbon.

Hound quickly pocketed the scroll and signed a fire jutsu at lightning speed, before he burned the remainder of the scrolls to not let them fall into enemy hands. Three senbon pierced his left arm, right shoulder, and left thigh in the process. He turned around and instantly killed his attacker with a single kunai to the heart, the enemy disappearing into smoke, a clone. Hound exited the tent and quickly took out the poison senbon before readying his Chidori, 16 down, 24 more to go. He hoped he had brought an antidote with him in his pack.

…

Hound carried the only surviving member of his team on his back as he raced home, unable to even teleport due to chakra exhaustion. Every missing-nin had been exterminated, the scrolls kept from enemy hands, and his teammate was dying in his arms as he was slowly bleeding out himself. His feet couldn't carry him fast enough as he leaped from tree to tree, cautious as to whether there were survivors following him. Hound turned in time to throw his final kunai at his follower, who dodged easily enough and landed on the branch next to where the kunai had lodged itself. He sighed; there had been an enemy on his tail after all.

"Release!" Hound felt no remorse as he leapt away from the explosion, which the jounin hadn't even seen coming. He readjusted the ANBU in his numb arms; he had lost almost all feeling in them when he was poisoned again. He had quickly taken the antidote, but that didn't mean that it had taken effect yet. The only reassurance that the man in his arms was even alive was the small heartbeat and shallow breaths he ever so occasionally felt. Hound sped through the forest for another hour and a half before he stumbled through the gates once again.

 The sky darkened to a deadly shade of black, and he frowned. Nighttime was when you either attacked or got attacked, and neither sounded good in his current situation. He bit back a groan as he felt the effects of his last soldier pill wear off. Hound continued to the hospital and unceremoniously dumped his comrade on one of the rookie nurses. The small nurse had barely managed to take hold of the badly wounded ANBU and looked up at him in surprise.

"His name is Yaro of the Akimichi clan, codename Pig. Deadly poison in his system, I've registered the antidote, multiple stab wounds, chakra exhaustion, and broken bones," he said coolly before running in the other direction. He vaguely heard the nurse shouting at him from a distance as he made his way to headquarters yet again. As team leader, first things first, he had to report and return the scroll before he went home. The Hound managed to jump to the top of a nearby roof and clumsily jumped from place to place. He hated hospitals, the smell of anesthetics, the tears of citizens, and just the atmosphere of hospitals was a put-off. It was also the place where you were required to reveal your identity in case of allergies.

Hound blinked, his vision was getting blurry, maybe he took the wrong antidote after all? If he had taken the wrong one, then he would be as good as dead. He landed on a tree branch as he felt himself begin to sway. His vision turned as dark as the sky before he felt the distinctive feeling of his body being pulled down by gravity, shit. The last thing he remembered was a smooth, rich voice filled with concern shaking his body. They couldn't have been talking to him, no one cared whether he lived or died.

...

Waking to something unidentified touching you was a bad way to wake up as an ANBU. Instinct took over as he instantly grabbed the object and prepared to kill. It only took an instant to take the kunai from underneath the pillow, pin the person who even dared to touch a sleeping ANBU to the bed, and hold the sharpened blade to their throat. The figure stilled as his arm was suddenly pulled behind his back as if to break it and a kunai was about to slit his throat. The brunette underneath him gulped nervously against the kunai, shocked by how fast he had been bested.

"P-please d-don't, I was just checking up." Hound took a second to realize he had been stripped of his armor; his chest was wrapped in gauze, and the stab wound in his side had stopped bleeding. He was covered in what felt like ointment and a patch of gauze taped to his side. Hound looked around the room, gaining intel on where he was. The man beneath him appeared to be a teacher, based on the multitude of poorly drawn pictures hung on the walls labeled with 'To the bestest sensei ever!', chunin level, simply based on how easily he had been pinned- not a threat. Hound cautiously lowered his weapon and released the chunin's arm, noting how the body beneath him instantly went slack with relief- positively not a threat.

"Where am I?" The silver-haired ANBU stood up even though his body protested the sudden movement. He leaned down and proceeded to put his armor on once more when he was gently stopped by a firm but tender hand on his wrist, "Hound-sama, you should go to the hospital! I've treated your wounds to the best of my ability, but if you continue to strain yourself, it will all be for naught." A red blush ghosted over the man's scarred face, and he quickly released his grip on the ANBU's wrist.

Oh right, he'd almost forgotten. Hound readjusted the kunai in his hand and got into a striking position, "Did you, ever once, take my mask off?" The brunette scampered away as fast as he could towards the edge of the bed, its once-white sheets stained red from either his or the enemy's blood. The man held his hands up defensively, "N-no! I would never!" Hound held his stance for a few moments, finding nothing but the truth as he looked into those chocolate eyes; a truthful person was a rarity to an ANBU.

He lowered his weapon and continued latching on the pieces of his armor quickly before he opened the window, finding it to be still dark outside. Good, he wasn't out for very long. The brunette’s mouth gaped open, appearing as if he was about to desperately plead with the ANBU, but he determinedly closed it without saying anything more.  Hound turned to look at the shocked brunette on the bed and nodded approval before disappearing into the darkness. The ANBU arrived moments later at headquarters and set the only remaining scroll before the Head.

"Report."

"Three ANBU dead, code names were Mole, Rat, and Horse, one ANBU in fatal condition, Pig, enemy camp destroyed, no remaining survivors, and the remaining scrolls have been burned due to dangerous circumstances." The head nodded with a raised eyebrow as he picked up the last scroll containing important information. He trusted the younger ANBU’s quick thinking, even though he had hoped for the scroll retrieval. Burning the scrolls was better than their village secrets falling into enemy hands. The head closed the scroll and looked down at the battered condition of the ANBU, covered in blood.

" Mission complete. Kakashi, I want you to go to the hospital. You are off duty until you are fully recovered. Even from here, I can tell you're like a walking corpse." Hound vanished, and he soon became Kakashi after the mission was complete. Kakashi’s body relaxed as he stood up casually from his previous kneeling position.

"Maa~ I've been treated by a tender-hearted angel I met on the street; there's no need to go to the hospital," the silver-haired ANBU said lazily as he scratched the back of his head.

"Cut the shit. Dismissed." Kakashi scowled behind the mask but left the room, leaving only a leaf behind from his jutsu. He fell to his knees as he arrived in front of the hospital; teleportation in his condition hadn't been a good idea. Any previous chakra he had left was now gone for sure. Kakashi blinked blearily eyes heavy as his vision was getting blurry again.

"Hound-sama!" A young nurse, about the same age as the one he dumped Pig on, was quickly helping him up and leading him to the examination room. He continued to try and force his eyes open and noticed for the first time that he was still covered in blood from head to toe. It barely took seconds before she had snapped all his armor off and helped him pull his shirt off. She blushed as she took in all the toned muscles of the legendary Hound of Konoha. Maybe she should start doing more overtime. She didn't bother to even ask if he could take off the mask, only an idiot would attempt to see what is underneath while the ANBU is conscious.

Kakashi watched lazily as she quickly began undoing all the scarred brunette's handiwork, feeling slightly disappointed as he watched it come off so soon. She quickly stitched the gash on his side up and repaired his broken kneecap with her healing jutsu. Huh, he hadn't even noticed. He didn't make a sound as she readjusted his dislocated shoulder, simply gritting his teeth. The nurse seemed slightly scared by his lack of reaction; maybe he should try and act more human next time instead of a lifeless tool. Kakashi ran his hand through his hair, feeling the grime stuck in his hair.

 "Is that all? Then I'd better be going."

"Hound-sama! It isn't good for your health to be moving around so quickly with all of your injuries." Kakashi rolled his eyes, "Maa~ can't we just look over this little incident, I'm fine, really! Besides, I have a precious little bugger at home that is waiting for me," he lied. She pursed her lips and stared at him long enough that he was almost tempted to put a genjutsu on her so he could escape, too bad he didn't have any chakra left. His exhaustion levels were putting him near the dead shinobi, but he'd be fine if he just took another soldier pill.

The nurse shook her head and scribbled down a few notes, "I can't believe I'm doing this." The instant she turned her back to him; he vanished out the window as fast as his injured body could take him. Kakashi didn’t bother to wait for the pain pills she was sure to prescribe him, he was used to the pain. He let his feet take him to the place he called home, landing stealthily in front of his door before he disabled all his traps and entered. Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief, he was finally done for the day.

He had a large home, several rooms he never used, a kitchen that was almost empty except for fiber bars, a dining room with a singular table he never ate at, and a bedroom he hardly slept in. His home was completely different from the brunette's humble abode. Compared to his, Kakashi's just looked dull and lifeless, he vaguely wondered why. His home wasn't quite as cluttered with furniture as the brunette's had been, but it had most of the same things, like a couch and a singular bookshelf for his beloved IchaIcha books. Would more furniture make a difference?

Kakashi shrugged as he took off the ashen ANBU mask and the rest of his armor for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He sighed; a shower was out of the question with all of the gauze wrapped around his chest. Kakashi still had blood in his hair, and that was just uncomfortable to sleep in. He, however, didn't feel like crouching over the sink to simply wash his hair and decided to let things be as he slowly sank into the soft mattress. There was a singular question on his mind as he drifted away into a half-asleep, half-awake slumber. Who was the brunette from before?

…

Iruka looked down at his heavily stained sheets and sighed. The ANBU was obviously in no condition to even move. He absentmindedly rubbed his wrist where the ANBU had touched. ANBU were certainly on a whole other playing field than him if they could move that swiftly while severely injured. He could never move that fast, even if he was at his best. Iruka hadn't even seen the other man move before there was a kunai to his throat, and his arm was locked in place.

He could tell that one wrong move would have left him with a broken arm and a slit throat. Then he even tried to command the possibly most dangerous man in Konoha to go to the hospital. Maybe he should go himself so he could figure out whether he was as crazy as he thought he was. Iruka shook his head as he stripped the sheets off and replaced them with woolen olive-green colored ones. He had no idea where his guts had come from before, as his stomach felt queasy looking at the blood-stained sheets.

Iruka had just been on his way home from a long day at the Mission's office when he saw the body collapsed in the street beside his home. Iruka gasped in surprise when he first noticed the injured ANBU. He thought the other ninja was dead for a moment. Iruka had to drag the ANBU as gently as he could before he managed to maneuver the other onto his back. He struggled a bit as he carried the ANBU into his home. Unlike the person in his arms, who seemed not to have a single ounce of fat on him and maybe on the slimmer side, carrying another person wasn't second nature as a teacher. It took a skillful mind and a lot of maneuvering to get the man situated on his bed, sitting the injured ninja up so he could treat him.

Iruka had scurried across his home to find the first-aid kit he had misplaced some time ago. The thought of peeking underneath the mask never even occurred to him as he was so focused on trying to stop the bleeding. He was no medical ninja, but he had been on enough missions to at least be smart enough to know the basics of how to treat a wound. Iruka generously dabbed the antibiotic ointment over the wounds after he'd managed to stop the bleeding. He had wrapped the gauze around the unconscious man's chest to the best of his ability, but it still appeared to be too loose.

 Iruka had also taped a patch of gauze around the stab wound on the man's lower abdomen and had gently laid the man down on the pillow. Thoughts raced through his mind as he wondered what he should do. He couldn't simply let the living legend of Konoha die in his bed because he was stupid. Maybe he should notify ANBU headquarters, but that might have gotten the man in trouble. So, he just sat at the kitchen table grading papers at backbreaking speed. He wondered if he should make soup in case the man woke up.

Unfortunately, he never had the chance to because the next time he went to check up on the man, he was pinned instantly, and the man vanished out of the window several minutes later. Iruka shook his head, he should have taken him to the hospital, so he could've gotten proper treatment. If the ANBU died later, then it would be entirely his fault. Iruka replaced the kunai under his pillow as he stared up at the ceiling. Worry and concern for the elite ninja kept bogging his thoughts and rendered him unable to sleep.

Maybe he should make cookies for his class as a present tomorrow since they all passed his recent test, even Naruto with a C-. He sat up out of his bed; he had nothing better to do anyway, and the baking would take his thoughts away from the injured man he knew absolutely nothing about, aside from the rumors that floated around town. Iruka was never one to believe in rumors, but from what Iruka had seen of the man, the ANBU was more than capable of being what the rumors said he was. It was like the two were in two entirely different worlds despite both being ninjas. The man had bested Iruka in two seconds flat while he was at his best, and the other was severely injured. Iruka tried not to feel as pathetic as he thought he was and proceeded to get out the ingredients to bake cookies for his class, or would brownies be better?

Chapter 2

Kakashi woke at exactly 5 A.M, like he did every morning. He frowned he had been hoping that his injured body would let him sleep in on his day off. Kakashi supposed he could visit Pig, but they weren't even close or by society's standards, could be considered friends. So, it wouldn't be his place. Kakashi had no friends, he was an ANBU.

Friends were hindrances, as were the feelings that came with those relationships; it was better not to get attached. He sat up and yawned before he decided to do what he did every time he had a day off: visit the memorial stone. All his friends were already dead. Kakashi sighed and sat up, he felt like shit, but he was used to that. He sighed, gauze or not, he was taking a shower.

Kakashi gently unraveled the white linen off his chest, a slash going diagonally from the top of his right pectoral to the lower left. Maybe if he returned to the hospital, they would be able to heal it so that it wouldn't scar, not that he cared. He had so many scars already, adding another to the list didn't matter. Kakashi had forgotten about where he was stabbed by a kunai slightly above his right hip bone, that injury needed stitches. It was going to scar, oh well. Kakashi peeled the patch off his hip to reveal the stitches and yawned once again.

He turned the shower on, the water coming down in gentle droplets, not even bothering to wait for the water to warm up before he stepped in and let the water cascade down his injured body. Kakashi quickly rinsed the dirt and grime that had accumulated from the past week or so of doing non-stop missions. Damn, he really had needed a shower, he was almost positive, his hair was an entire shade lighter now without all the dried blood and dirt caught in it. Kakashi quickly scrubbed the rest of his body down and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel that smelled stale. He made a mental note to wash it with his dirty uniforms later.

He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked back into the plain open area that was his bedroom. Kakashi ran the towel through his hair before chucking it in the laundry pile, vaguely wondering if the brunette's towels smelled stale. Probably not, they probably smelled like tea or something sweet. The brunette would be able to frequently wash his belongings, unlike him, who sometimes went over a month without doing laundry, wearing the same bloodstained uniform for an extended amount of time. The ANBU never gave him much time off until he was severely injured.

Kakashi probably smelled like a sewer most of the time, but it's not like anyone ever had the guts to tell him. ANBU simply did not have the usual luxuries regular ninjas had, and it was common for ANBU to go without food, sleep, and hygiene. After all, why would a tool require all those things? He was a tool for the village's disposal. When he was gifted with the rarity of a break, he mainly spent it all talking to those who had already passed.

Kakashi quickly slipped on a fresh pair of underwear and another uniform, he didn't have anything else but a certain number of uniforms at his disposal to wear. He clicked the ANBU armor over his uniform and replaced his mask. Kakashi hardly ever left without his mask, and even if he did, he still wore a mask and a Konoha head guard over his Sharingan eye. Paranoia was a trait every ANBU had, always on guard and on the lookout for any potential threats. Anyone could be the enemy in disguise, waiting to kill you and make an attack. With that knowledge, who wouldn't be paranoid?

Kakashi, however, had another idea on how he was going to spend his rare day off, and that would be on how to make up for his debt to the brunette teacher had had nearly killed. He could always visit the memorial stone after he finished his business. An ANBU always paid back its debt. Kakashi was only alive due to Iruka’s critical thinking and medical attention. He wanted to live, even if he did not care much for his own life.

Kakashi left the apartment quietly through the window and ran until he arrived at what he believed to be the teacher's house. He frowned, as an ANBU, he had almost zero social skills; his work simply didn't require that. What could the teacher possibly want as thanks? Maybe he would find out after a little research. The ANBU jumped up and easily balanced on the windowsill and took out a small lock pick that he carried at all times.

With the skill of an expert, he opened the window and stepped in, dismantling all the chunin's traps with the grace of an assassin in his element. Kakashi looked around the bedroom he had been in last night, the stained sheets still bundled in the corner. During the daylight, the warmth of the room filled with pictures sloppily drawn by kids seemed to increase tenfold. He nonchalantly slid his hands in his pockets as he walked into the hallway and what seemed to be the living room. Breaking and entering was only illegal if he got caught.

There was a well-worn brown couch near the window. In front of it was a coffee table with papers strewn across the surface, with a half-filled cup of tea from presumably that morning. Kakashi picked up what appeared to be the graded homework of the chunin's students. Sasuke Uchiha, well, apparently, he was as talented as his older brother, with the perfect score he made. In comparison, a Naruto Uzumaki was less than impressive with his failing grade. He set the graded papers back down and stood in front of the teacher's diploma that hung on the wall, Iruka Umino.

"Iruka-sensei," Kakashi smiled slightly at how the name easily rolled off his tongue. He padded around the small but welcoming apartment of the teacher for a while longer before sighing. The teacher loved collecting the crap his students dumped on him, but he highly doubted a full-grown man doing the same would have the same effect. The teacher was a ninja, he might have some enemies he wanted out of the way. That's what Kakashi would want if an assassin were to do a favor.

He lazily scratched the back of his head as he walked back to the room he entered and rearmed all the traps once more. Kakashi slid the window closed, not bothering to lock it. The teacher would more likely think he'd left it unlocked than someone breaking into his house and purposely resetting all his traps. He walked down the dirt road, letting his feet take him to the Academy, where he might hopefully catch the teacher in time for lunch. Otherwise, he had no clue where to find the teacher.

When he arrived, the teacher was handing out papers and scolding the replica of his beloved Sensei. Kakashi smiled sadly, the kid seemed to have gotten his father's looks and his mother's personality. He watched in silence as he continued waiting for the teacher to get back to class and resume teaching. Kakashi cocked his head in confusion, had he missed the lunch period? That wouldn't be surprising, considering he hardly ever ate at the normal times everyone else did. He frowned as he wondered if it would be rude to ask the teacher what he required now. Kakashi shrugged; he'd seen others do it countless times, and if he messed up, then he would simply apologize.

With speed that even the Yellow Flash would be proud of, the silver-haired jounin entered the class and kneeled at the brunette's feet exactly like he would do with the Head. The chunin immediately jumped and instinctively put his hand on his weapons pouch before he sighed with relief. Kakashi frowned, he had messed up. He had seen others enter through the Academy window countless times as a kid, then again they were at war at the time. He had also seemingly embarrassed the teacher, judging by the shade of tomato red his face had turned, or was he seething with anger?

Kakashi cleared his throat, "I would like to humbly thank you for the service you provided yesterday. I will do whatever you require." He bowed his head like he had been taught to do when receiving orders and awaited the chunin's answer. Kakashi was surprised when a hand lightly touched his shoulder and guided him to his feet. He blinked as he took in sight of the teacher, who was undeniably crimson-faced. Iruka was pointedly looking toward his class of students rather than him in embarrassment. The man was practically the definition of cute.

"I'm going to step out for a few while I discuss matters with my, uh, well, whatever! I'll be right by the door, so if I hear a peep out of any of you, there will be a pop quiz!" Iruka nodded confidently at the displeased groan from the class as he led the ANBU into the hall. Kakashi smiled, the teacher had a temper. That only made him so much cuter. He held back a chuckle and schooled his features back to normal, even though the teacher would have no way of telling.

"Maa~ my apologies, Iruka-sensei~ I did not mean to disrupt, but it appeared as if I missed the chance to talk to you at lunch." Iruka seemed slightly taken aback by the lazy attitude and slow drawl Kakashi usually had when he was himself. The brunette quickly smiled and shook his head. Kakashi found himself comparing that smile to the sun, it was simply breathtaking and warm. Iruka had simply been surprised that the ANBU knew who he was; maybe they had met before.

"Not at all, I was just about to re-teach what those brats learned yesterday because most of them seemed not to understand. Um, I'm glad to see you're okay." Iruka scratched at his scar, "You left so suddenly, I was worried whether or not something would happen to you." Kakashi was shocked by that statement. How could a person worry about another when they had just met? Iruka smiled bashfully, "Sorry, that probably sounds weird coming from a stranger, but I was truthfully worried about your well-being last night after seeing you with so many injuries." He eyed the ANBU's lithe form, covered completely by clothes, trying to look for any reopened wounds.

"Should you be walking around in your condition? I don't want your wounds to worsen."

"It's fine, those were just scratches. I came by to thank you for your help while I was out of action. I always repay my debts; just say the word and I will do anything you wish." Iruka's eyebrows furrowed, and he looked as if he wanted to say something but decided against it.

"You don't have to do that." Kakashi frowned, "I always repay my debts," he reiterated. Iruka sighed as he crossed his arms and stared at the floor in thought.

"Normally, weapon training happens a little later in the afternoon, but I'm sure the kids will benefit if they see an expert. I know ANBU don't normally spend time showing pre-genin how to throw a kunai, but that's the only thing I can think of on such short notice."

"I swear to god you stupid bastard, I'm gonna beat the crap out of you!" Iruka winced at Naruto's sudden outburst and sighed, he'd been hoping the hyperactive blond could make it more than five minutes without fighting with Sasuke.

"Shut up, Naruto! Iruka-sensei is going to hear you!" He rolled his eyes, even Sakura-chan? Iruka glanced up at Kakashi, "Do you want to eat lunch first, while I take care of the kids? You missed it, right? You can wait in the teacher's lounge."

Kakashi shrugged, "I don't mind observing you teach." Iruka nodded, and Kakashi opened the door. Surprisingly, a chalk eraser began to fall and landed on his head with a white poof, making his already silver hair even whiter. Naruto laughed obnoxiously, "What kind of ANBU can't dodge an eraser?! We'll be dead in minutes if that's who is protecting us."

It took only a second before Iruka grabbed the pre-genin by the ear and pulled him into the hall to scold him. Kakashi leaned against the teacher's desk and faced the students as he wiped dust from his hair. The children, except the Uchiha, practically cowered in fear at the teacher's booming voice from the hall. Iruka walked in with an air of satisfaction around him, "Take out a pencil and a piece of paper, we are going to have a pop quiz because you all couldn't manage to sit quietly while I was talking with Hound-sama."

 The class groaned, and Kakashi scanned their faces in curiosity about who would probably fail. He found an Inuzuka with a pained face who was rubbing his temples, a boy who was sleeping on his arms, and Naruto Uzumaki, who entered after the collective groan, with glassy eyes.

"This is all your fault Naruto!" A pinkette with an overly wide forehead exclaimed. The blond put his hands behind his head and turned away, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, like I care." Iruka coughed, "Naruto was not the only one I heard in the hallway." The pinkette blushed and looked at her desk in shame. Naruto snickered and returned to his seat next to the Inuzuka, who punched him in the arm. Kakashi put his hands in his pockets as Iruka began to name off the questions.

"First question, what clan assists in the recovery of the famous three-pill secret weapon?" Kakashi watched as Iruka threw a piece of chalk at the sleeping boy, who was most likely a Nara. The boy slowly woke up and looked around before sighing and returning to his previous position in his arms, muttering under his breath about how school was such a drag. The Inuzuka ran his hands through his hair in agitation when, ironically, the answer was sleeping in front of him, while Naruto zoned out after guessing. He smiled; it was good that they could take things so slowly nowadays.

 When he was their age, he was already a chunin who fought in the war. Iruka sighed and asked another simple question so that half the class possibly didn't fail. It seemed the class had been learning about the different clans of Konoha and their specialties. To his surprise, there was also an Akimichi clan member, but judging from the way he was happily eating bag after bag of chips while he sat next to the Nara kid, Pig must not have been a direct relative. Possibly a cousin of some sort. Kakashi vaguely wondered if his comrade had survived or not, but he chose not to dwell on it. He was interrupted from his thoughts by the feisty teacher letting out an exasperated sigh and sneaking a glance at the uncaring ANBU leaning against the desk.

"Last question, what was the Fourth Hokage's nickname?" Kakashi frowned, he hadn't been to the memorial stone in several weeks, and he needed to visit later.

"Everyone, don't forget to write your name before you flip your paper over." The students did as they were told, and Iruka hastily traveled across the room to pick up the papers. Iruka smiled at Kakashi while he set the papers back down on the desk and cleared his throat, "Everyone, we have a special guest today who will assist us in weapon training!" The class nodded in excitement, and a certain familiar blond perked up, "So are you like a real high-level ninja?!" Kakashi nodded slowly, "One of the highest," he drawled.

The class collectively whispered in awe, and Iruka smiled at Kakashi as the students began to line up by the door. The silver-haired jounin found that he liked it when Iruka smiled at him; he really liked it. Kakashi got up from his place against the desk and followed the class to where they were supposed to train. Iruka had gotten a pack of training kunai somehow, huh, he hadn't even seen the chunin enter the supply closet, interesting. A teacher had to be fast while dealing with rambunctious children.

In front of him was the rowdy blond who was too much like his mother for his own good. A replica of Minato with Kushina's mouth was quite comical actually. Naruto kept turning and looking at him to the point where it was beginning to get creepy. The kid had his arms propped up behind him, "I'm gonna be Hokage one day, believe it! When I am, you can be my subordinate since you're cool-looking!" Kakashi smiled softly and patted the blonde's head, effectively stopping him so he could examine the child’s scarred face, "I'll wait for that day."

Naruto grinned and bounded to catch up while Kakashi took several long strides and put his hands back in his pockets. Iruka waited for him at the doorway, "Are you sure you're fit to do this? You're about to be surrounded by pre-genin who can't throw kunai, shuriken, or senbon in a straight line." Kakashi chuckled, "I've been through worse than pre-genin in this condition. It kind of makes a difference when they're not purposefully trying to kill you." Iruka didn't look convinced, he had seen all Kakashi's wounds last night, so he knew exactly what kind of condition the taller male was in.

 He sighed and stepped out of the way, "You're only doing demonstrations and maybe helping pre-genin." Iruka's voice was stern and commanding as he led the ANBU over to the training dummies where the class was waiting. Kakashi smiled as the chunin made him stand the farthest away he could from the dummies. Iruka turned, scratching his scar, "It's uh a rule that the more skilled you are, the farther away you stand."

 The brunette grinned and gave him a thumbs up, "Besides, it's always fun to show off a little." The chunin looked at the three dummies, squinting slightly, he could hit the targets from this distance, but it had taken some practice.

"Do you want a warm-up throw?" Kakashi shrugged, took out several of his weapons from his pack, and held a kunai in his dominant hand, "Sure." He lazily threw one at the middle dummy, hitting it between the eyes. Hitting a non-moving target was a piece of cake for someone with a Sharingan eye. There were some oohs and aahs from his audience before he yanked his arm back, pulling on the semi-invisible string connected to the end of the weapons. The Kunai came spiraling back to the two, Kakashi easily catching the weapons before they hit his face.

"Impressive. As expected of the legendary Hound-sama." Iruka had a proud smile on his face with his hands on his hips as he spoke fondly of the man next to him. Adorable.

"Hound, just call me Hound." Warm chocolate eyes locked with his, seemingly judging for a facial expression, before he smiled softly, slightly pink in the cheeks.  That caused the unsuspecting ANBU's heart to flutter like a butterfly in his chest. Kakashi frowned and wiped the feeling away as quickly as it came, "So, how do you want me to hit them?" Iruka shrugged, "However you want."

 Kakashi nodded and pictured the dummies as enemy ninjas, quickly throwing all his weapons, some of them clanking against the others and bouncing in a different direction as they sped through the air. The class was silent this time before Naruto's obnoxious laughter pierced through the silence, "What's with that? He hit them in random places!" Sasuke frowned before elbowing his supposed rival in the side, "Dobe, he hit all of the vital points, from that far, he could probably kill you with his pinky." Naruto gulped before elbowing Sasuke back, and the beginning of another fight between the two once again started. Iruka separated them within seconds, and Kakashi was leaning against the very tree he had been observing from earlier. He lazily pulled the weapons out of the dummies with the strings and slowly untangled the mass of weapons. The pre-genin took their stances in front of the dummies as they held their kunai with confident grins on their faces.

Kakashi evaded a kunai that somehow ended up spiraling its way towards him. He pulled the weapon out of the tree and noticed the confused Inuzuka looking around, "Huh? Where did it go?" The weapon disappeared out of his hand with a puff of smoke and appeared in Iruka's hand. Clever, attach a justu to the weapons, and you could quickly summon all of the lost weapons. The set of pre-genin changed, and Kakashi watched interestedly at Minato's heir, who had his chest and cheeks puffed out to the max.

Naruto got into stance and threw the kunai in a way Kakashi expected something, only to be disappointed when none of them hit their mark. He chuckled and stood next to the boy, "Do it like this." Kakashi put a kunai in the boy's hand and flicked his wrist gently, but forcefully enough to send the weapon flying into the wood. Naruto's face lit up so much it was like staring up at the sun, "Iruka-sensei! Look, I did it! I hit one!" Naruto was almost jumping up in down in his excitement as the brunette looked between the two.

"Very good! Maybe we can celebrate with some ramen later?" Naruto gave Kakashi a thumbs-up before changing turns with another classmate.

 "You're surprisingly a good teacher. Ever thought about becoming a squad leader?" Truthfully, Kakashi never even thought about it; he kind of figured he would be an ANBU forever. He simply shrugged, and Iruka nodded and returned to the students. Kakashi left as soon as the training was over and gave Iruka a nod before he disappeared. He put a hand over his chest at the thought of never seeing the chunin again. There must be some side effects of the poison left in his system, that was the only explanation; weapons don't have feelings.

Chapter 3

Kakashi quickly bought some flowers before he went to the memorial stone. It had been so long since he visited, it wouldn't have been right to go empty-handed. When he arrived, he was somewhat pleased to find the area void of people, it was perfect. It meant he would have some privacy. He gently placed the bouquet of sunflowers he bought before the stone as he looked at the three names carved next to each other on the stone. Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and continued to look at the names carved in the stone of the only people who had managed to make their way into his heart. He let out a shaky breath but otherwise remained indifferent before he took off his mask and faced them.

"You guys would never guess who I happened to meet today." Kakashi waited in silence as he pictured their reactions, his sensei would be excited that he met someone new, Rin would look at him with her curious brown eyes, and Obito would practically be leaning off his seat at the fact that Kakashi had chosen to speak to them at all. He wasn't exactly the most talkative person in their squad at the time.

"I met Sensei's son, Naruto Uzumaki. An exact clone of Sensei, with Kushina-san's ego." Kakashi smiled sadly and remained silent for a few minutes before deciding to speak again. "He wasn't the only one I met today, though." He paused before continuing, "I met someone who is my opposite. He is why I am probably still alive right now." Kakashi chuckled half-heartedly, "I guess I won't be meeting you guys again quite yet." What felt like hours passed by as he stood staring at the stone. He vanished into a tree when he felt the presence of someone's chakra. Kakashi looked over his shoulder a final time before he replaced his mask and decided it was time once again to part ways, for now.

It had been nine days since he had last eaten a proper meal, but his pack needed to eat every day, and he was almost out of food. He had to stop by the market to get food for them, maybe some treats. Kakashi took his sweet time to get there, not wanting to push his body harder than it needed to be. He landed in front of the pet ninken store with his hands in his pockets and earned a startled gasp from the young girl sweeping outside the shop, a civilian. Kakashi frowned he knew of his somewhat infamous reputation for being a merciless killer, but he wasn't about to kill the very people he was trying to protect.

Kakashi turned away as he opened the door to the shop and walked inside. He immediately went straight to the back, where he proceeded to pick up his order of ten bags. He wished they delivered or that there was a place closer to his home, but there wasn't. The tiny shop was the only place that sold ninken food in all of Konoha. Kakashi picked up a bag of treats and took out his wallet to pay, eyeing the nervous cashier behind his mask.

"G-good afternoon, A-anbu-sama! You c-came on s-sale day! F-food is half off!" Kakashi didn't feel the need to remark about how every time he came, it was always sale day. It wasn't like he ever threatened anyone in the shop; hell, the only time he ever really spoke to them was when he ordered the food for his pack. Though he did spook them that one time when he wrote a transportation seal on the bag of food with his blood, regardless of how strong he was, he couldn't functionally carry ten bags of dog food several miles in one go. He handed the money to the cashier, "I'll need another ten bags by the same time next month."

"M-my pleasure!" Kakashi nodded and pricked his thumb, quickly drawing the transportation sign with blood so fast the cashier's untrained eyes couldn't see. They disappeared with a poof, and he was left still carrying the bag of treats. He'd forgotten to put them in the pile, oh well. Kakashi turned a corner as he walked out of the store, before he was pushed back for a second. It was rare for someone to bump into him; most people usually kept their distance.

 It was even rarer that that said person just so happened to be a brunette-haired chunin teacher. Iruka looked up, just as surprised as he was, or would have looked without his mask, "I-it's you!" Iruka blushed slightly at stating the obvious, but the words had slipped out before he could have stopped them. Kakashi nodded quickly, still slightly shocked himself. He was about to leave when his clawed hand with the treats was suddenly grabbed, "Do you have dogs?" Kakashi nodded, he wasn't good with small talk like normal people; he was a very blunt and straight-to-the-point type of guy. Iruka smiled at him, "How many?"

"Eight," he drawled. It was weird seeing Iruka again. Fate was strange like that; it had a way of drawing people together, especially so soon. Iruka's mouth fell open slightly, eight was indeed a large number of dogs for a ninja. He was confused for a moment before he realized the only way Kakashi would be able to take care of them was if they were ninken. Somehow, he never really took the ANBU to be an animal person. It was at that moment Iruka felt as stupid as he must have sounded, of course, Hound had ninken, he was even legendary for it. He inwardly groaned, grateful that the ANBU was nice enough not to call him out on the mistake.

"I'm just getting back from my shift at the Mission's office, my home is near here, would you like to have some tea?" Kakashi examined Iruka's behavior simply out of habit. He was guarded yet relaxed and judging by his hand twitch, slightly nervous. The chunin's reactions were understandable; not everyone could invite a highly trained assassin to their home for evening tea. Most people who were not ANBU didn't dare to even talk to them unless they received orders. Iruka was an anomaly in the way he seemed to treat everyone the same.

"What happened to ramen with Naruto?" He asked lazily, putting his free hand in his pocket. Iruka let a long-drawn-out sigh at that, "That little...bugger got in trouble again, so as punishment, no ramen!" Iruka crossed his arms and huffed as he seemed to recall the memory. Kakashi, being mildly curious, was tempted to have Iruka elaborate when his tattoo began to burn. He rolled his eyes behind his mask, seriously?

"I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei, it seems I'm being summoned. I'll have to take a rain check on that tea." Iruka nodded dumbly before Kakashi coolly disappeared. The brunette's shoulders slumped in disappointment as soon as the ANBU left. Of course, the ANBU had more important things to do than sit and have tea with a lowly chunin. He looked up when another ANBU appeared in front of him, kneeling. What was going on?

Meanwhile, Kakashi was fuming while he was standing in front of the Head, not bothering to kneel with his injuries. The Head chuckled, clearly amused, "Now, I know you're mad because I interrupted, but trust me, it wouldn't have been fun to be there when he realizes his house was broken into by a lazy jounin." Kakashi said nothing as a file was handed to him, labeled Umino, Iruka. Once again, the Head chuckled, "Relationships are something even an ANBU needs." Now that was something you didn't hear every day.

 Kakashi cleared his throat, "What is this about?" The Head intertwined his fingers, "Hound is a weapon, but you can't only be Hound, you are Kakashi as well. Weapons break without proper care. To put it simply, I don't trust you not to break or care for yourself. For example, when was your last meal?" Kakashi didn't have an answer to that, he honestly took only enough vitamins and nutrients to survive.

"As the best ANBU we have, I can't let you break, so I've taken several precautions. I know you won't care for yourself, and what better way than to let the person you've been eying be responsible for that?" If Kakashi were any less unprofessional, he would have facepalmed, he didn't even need to ask to know who had been assigned to follow him.

"He's just a chunin, I will be nothing but a bother." The Head dismissed him, "I assume you know by now that he is not that type of person. You are dismissed, now go home, eat a meal, and care for your wounds, because I'm not assigning another mission until you're fully healed."

"Maa~ so you do care, I'm touched." Kakashi put his hands over his heart in a mock gesture, its effect partially diminished by the bag of treats in his arms. The Head scowled at him, "Dismissed," he said sharply. Kakashi sighed and used his last remaining ounce of chakra to transport home, not fully knowing what to expect when he arrived. He didn't even bother disabling his traps, figuring they were already gone anyway, and he was right when he didn't get electrocuted as his hand touched the doorknob.

Kakashi entered his home slowly, cautious of any surprise attacks. He had a feeling about who was sent to pick or tell Iruka, but he wanted to make sure it wasn't Guy, oh hell no. He let a quick sigh of relief as he found Cat sitting on his couch, holding a cup of tea. Kakashi was tempted to take off his mask, but due to the clanking and muffled cursing in his kitchen, the fiery chunin was currently in his home. He could feel Tenzou's amusement, and he wanted nothing more than to slap the smugness off his kouhai's face.

"I didn't know you were so fragile you needed a caretaker, senpai." Kakashi's eye narrowed, in an instant, his weapon was pulled and at his kouhai's throat as he took a seat next to him. He heard a glass break and another curse before Iruka stomped out of the kitchen, finding Kakashi with his katana at the other man's neck. Iruka froze for a moment before shaking his head as he noticed Kakashi's casual position and the unaffected presumably kouhai.

"You have no food."

"Ah~ Sorry, I forgot to go shopping." Iruka glared at him, "You bought like twenty bags of food for your dogs, but you never thought to buy something for yourself? Every single cabinet is empty, the only thing I found was a bottle of soldier pills and an empty fiber bar box that dates back to last month." Kakashi sheathed his sword and scratched his head, he didn't know what to say. Iruka clapped his hands together in a sign, "Stay here," he said quickly.

Tenzou leaned back lazily on the couch, "He's interesting. Very forceful, almost knocked me out when I transported us. He is very skilled at what he does."

"So much praise is rare for you." Kakashi took his mask off to get some cool air on his face for a few brief seconds before replacing it yet again. Tenzou shrugged, "He's a lot more likable than you, senpai. I think he will do you good; you've been on a destructive path lately, and it's quite noticeable. Especially if you almost die on the road, luckily for you, Iruka volunteers for late night shifts at the Missions office, or you would've been dead with all of that poison inside of you."

Kakashi nodded, "I've already repaid my debt."

"A life is worth more than a five-minute demonstration." Kakashi scowled at that, Iruka had said it was fine. Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, "Does he know my identity?"

"We are unsure, but Head said depending on the circumstances, identity exposure is nonpunishable, such as if you must take off your mask to have your wounds cleaned, etc..." Kakashi nodded, "He's not going to be living with me, is he?"

"No, he will be doing daily checkups before work, lunch break, and dinner. If there is a problem, he will report it. Whether or not he chooses to stay here instead of commuting is entirely up to him." Tenzou took his mask off for a few brief seconds as he took a few sips of the tea. Kakashi's eye twitched, "How long are you planning on staying?" Tenzou frowned and his mask was replaced, "Tell me if something interesting happens, oh, and thank Iruka-san for the tea as well." Kakashi waved him away, and Tenzou quickly left through the window. It was another fifteen minutes when Iruka arrived with groceries, and frankly, the most food Kakashi had seen in a long while.

"Do regular people eat that much?" Iruka shrugged as he stared, dumbfounded, at the little orange book Kakashi was holding in his hand. It was obvious the chunin disapproved, but he kept his mouth shut and went back into the kitchen, leaving Kakashi to continue with his reading. He looked up from the edge of the book at several particularly loud clanks and mumbled curses. Slowly, a delicious aroma filled the air, and he could feel his empty stomach groan. Kakashi was gradually becoming more impatient as that scent lingered in the air, tantalizing him and, more accurately, his stomach.

When Iruka finally emerged, looking slightly annoyed, from the kitchen holding two plates of fried rice, Kakashi let out a relieved sigh and closed his book. He easily slid it back into his weapons pouch and took the plate and chopsticks from Iruka. Iruka looked around for a seat and, not finding any, took a seat next to Kakashi. He turned so his back would be to the jounin to give him the privacy to eat. It would not do to expose his identity on day one.

"It's not much, but at least it's better than fucking pills," Iruka barked out.

"You're mad," Kakashi stated simply. "You have every right to be, being inconvenienced like this. Being stuck babysitting an ANBU isn't something you hear every day. I apologize, none of this was done with my knowledge, honestly, I was probably as surprised as you were." Iruka shrugged his shoulders, "It is a surprise, but that's not what I'm mad about. I looked through every single one of your cabinets and found no trace of actual food! What is wrong with you, don't you know that people need to eat to live?!" Kakashi scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I honestly forget that I'm human sometimes." Iruka's shoulders drooped, "That's why I'm here," he said quietly.

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, and neither said anything to the other. Iruka picked up the plates after Kakashi readjusted his mask and left for the kitchen, returning quickly. Iruka sat down as Kakashi stood up and walked over to one of the bags of ninken food, tugging at the edge as he placed eight bowls in a straight line before he began dumping the contents. Iruka raised an eyebrow as he dumped about a fourth of the bag into one bowl, but Kakashi ignored him as he filled the other bowls quite moderately.

Kakashi kneeled, his injured body protesting at the movement, and brought his hands together as he gathered up every ounce of his chakra. Eight poofs appeared in the room, and the biggest dog Iruka had ever seen, caught the ANBU, who almost fell back after fully depleting his chakra. Kakashi patted the big brown dog, "Thanks, Bull." The dog licked his mask as he steadied the man, who then came face to face with a tan dog with a pug-ish face.

"Pakkun," Kakashi said simply.

"Idiot," the dog replied before turning to Iruka. "Who is he?"

"Iruka, meet my pack."

Chapter 4

"Iruka, meet my pack."

The brunette blinked as he took in the eight dogs that had been summoned. Bull carefully padded over to the biggest bowl. No wonder he fed the dog so much; it was almost as big as him! Kakashi sat as still as he could and caught his breath, so he didn't faint right then and there, that would've been embarrassing. He lightly patted the pug-like dog who had taken a seat on his lap, "Kak-Hound," he corrected quickly, "you should know better than to summon us in this condition."

"And let you guys starve? What kind of master would I be? Then I would have to listen to Bull's grumbling tummy and feel guilty."

"Idiot," the dog, presumably named Pakkun, growled. "Your health is more important than ours, especially since you don't even bother to care for yourself after getting injured! That's right, we can all smell the blood." Bull let out a small whine, and Kakashi sighed, deciding to change the topic of his injuries, "Iruka is here for that very reason, to take care of me for the time being. He did save my life a couple of days ago, so be nice." Pakkun hopped off Kakashi's lap and onto the chunin's who had been silently observing the interaction between the two.

The pug inhaled the brunette's scent, memorizing it quickly. Bad things seemed to always happen to those the idiot boy cared about, hopefully, it would turn out differently this time. Iruka let out a nervous chuckle as all eight dogs began silently sniffing him for no apparent reason. Honestly, the whole situation was just plain weird, it seemed almost anything involving the silver-haired ANBU was always weird or different. The brunette had never been surrounded by so many ninken before.

The pug cleared his throat after they all memorized the brunette's scent, "Allow me to introduce ourselves. I'm Pakkun, the big guy over there is Bull, the tan one with weird eyes is Urushi, the one with the mohawk is Shiba, Biscuit is the one with circular eyes, Uhei is the redish one, and slanty eyes over there is Guruko."

"I'm Akino," the remaining member with shades said casually. Iruka nodded and lightly shook the paw Pakkun stuck out, "I'm Iruka Umino, pleased to meet you." Pakkun was silent for a minute, "You're polite, unlike that brat over there." Pakkun gestured to the ANBU with distaste, "Sorry to leave so abruptly, but the idiot's chakra is gone and having us here is only going to make it worse." The pug took in the entity that was Iruka Umino, "I hope we meet again," he said quietly. Iruka was temporarily stunned at having heard the ANBU being called a brat. He chuckled softly, hoping the other hadn't heard what Pakkun had said. It only lasted a moment as he realized that the jounin had just used the last of all his remaining energy to feed his dogs.

The pack disappeared in eight poofs, and Iruka hurriedly walked over to help the ANBU up, wanting desperately to scold him like one of his students. Iruka decided to do just that, and hooked the ANBU's shoulder over his, "Do you have a death wish?! This destructive behavior is useless! How can such a high-ranking ninja like yourself not care properly for themselves? You're acting like a depressed teenager."

Iruka sighed when he received no reply and simply hoisted the other up, "I'm going to check your wounds since, truthfully, you shouldn't even be moving." The brunette sighed as he thought about the brief afternoon teaching session. He had been an idiot to let the advanced ninja harm himself further because of the belief that the jounin was indestructible. It was foolish; the ANBU was every bit as human as he was, and he was ticked at himself for forgetting that. Kakashi thought over what Iruka had said, he was like a depressed teenager?

He had hit the nail on the head about the depressed part, the other half wasn't exactly spot on, considering he was at least a couple of years older than the chunin. Kakashi gestured to the bathroom Iruka had been looking for, and he soon found himself sitting on the ceramic toilet seat as his shirt was carefully pulled off. Normally, Iruka would've been embarrassed about undressing another person, but he was so focused he didn't have time for the feeling. He quickly scurried out of the bathroom and went back into the kitchen to get the first-aid kit he'd been smart enough to bring. Iruka was back in record time to see the jounin still sitting quietly, only holding his book of make-out paradise. The brunette blushed slightly, and he got a washcloth out to clean the wounds Kakashi had left unbandaged the entire day. It was a miracle he hadn't started bleeding all over the place.

"Please leave these on this time, they really do help. I can redo them in the morning since I know it's a pain to wash in." Kakashi nodded lazily as he watched Iruka work carefully on the few stab wounds. He was a relatively quick healer, so he never really needed to rest as much as most. Kakashi was just too stubborn to give a shit about the condition of his body, pushing it to the limits so many times he was forced to have a caretaker.

After Iruka was done wrapping gauze around the ANBU's entire chest, he leaned back with a satisfied smirk and helped hoist the other up. Kakashi led them to the bedroom, which hadn't been exactly cleaned in a while, judging by the dust. Kakashi ignored the dust and headed straight for the bed, which contained only a comforter. Iruka looked around for a pillow and frowned when he didn't find one.

 "I'll be back tomorrow morning, and I'll have you know I'll be pissed if I find you dead on the floor somewhere. So pissed off I'll somehow manage to bring you back from the dead just so I can kill you myself." Kakashi chuckled, not at Iruka, but from the way the brunette seemed to prickle at the laugh, it seemed he was misunderstood again.

"I'm sorry, sensei, I wasn't laughing at you. I just found it funny at the thought that I would most likely die in some random place."

"How is that funny?" Kakashi shrugged, smiling that fake coy smile behind his mask. Iruka examined him before turning to leave the Anbu’s home. Iruka sighed as he swiftly put his shoes on. He looked over his shoulder for the final time, "I'll be back tomorrow morning." Iruka closed the door behind him, and Kakashi could tell the brunette's presence was no longer there after a few seconds.

The ANBU took off his mask and let it fall somewhere onto the bed. His wounds had a constant dull throbbing, and the ache of his body did nothing to allow him to relax. Even as he was lying in bed while in his own home, he would never let his guard down. It happened once before, a rogue ninja sneaking into his house while he was unawares, and that was a mistake he wasn't willing to repeat. Even with his worn-out body, he couldn't let himself sleep, knowing that if he did, there would only be nightmares. He took out his book and fully prepared himself to reread the masterpiece for the millionth time.

…

"Ne, Iruka-sensei, do you know that man from earlier?" Iruka turned to see Naruto guzzling down his third bowl of ramen. It was late, and Iruka had already eaten dinner with the ANBU, but for Naruto, it was never too late or too early to eat ramen. Iruka had been surprised to find the boy sitting outside his door when he got home from taking care of the ANBU. Seeing the lonely boy made him forget about the earlier punishment of no ramen.

"No, I can't say that I do. Honestly, I don't know what to think of him." Naruto grinned, "I like him! He's one of the only people who has been nice to me. One day, when I'm Hokage, both he and you will be my servants!"

"You want to make the people who were nice to you your servants?" Naruto blinked confusedly. Iruka laughed wholeheartedly, finally allowing himself to truly relax for the first time since he'd been in the ANBU's presence. He patted Naruto on the head, ruffling his blond hair, "I'll follow you wherever you go, Naruto, I believe in you." Naruto beamed, "Thanks, Iruka-sensei!" The boy spun off his chair and ran away from the shop.

"Wait, Naruto! Where are you going?!" Iruka sighed when he found no sight of the blond and paid for the boy's ramen. He thanked the cook who stayed past closing time to make Naruto the ramen.

"Anything for my top two customers!" Teuchi replied. Iruka smiled and thanked him again before exiting the shop. He thought back to the legendary ANBU. Why would such a great man not take care of himself? Iruka had seen the total disregard for health, even allowed it, and that made him angry at himself. He bit his lip and continued his walk home once more. How could he have been so stupid? The ANBU was injured, bleeding almost to death in front of him, and then he still let him teach a class of kids the very next day!

Iruka hadn't meant to be so snappy in front of the ANBU. Generally, he was a very calm, level-headed person. However, when he had been nearly abducted to care for a very uncaring ANBU who had no regard for his own life, he had lost control of his temper. Finding out exactly how much the ANBU didn't care about his own life, based on his house, had ticked him off even more. Iruka was getting peeved just thinking about it. He got attached very easily, and when he did, whether they were a friend or foe, he couldn't stand not helping them.

Thus, he became a teacher rather than continuing to go further in his ninja career. Iruka made his way back home and trudged into his small home. He still had no idea how the trap on his window was broken, which made Iruka more paranoid than ever, someone had managed to break into his home. Iruka was by no means weak, and there was no way he would not put fairly strong traps for his home. Maybe it was the ANBU that had been sent to pick him up. Who was he kidding? Of course, it was some type of ANBU; they didn't just let anyone care for their people. To think he had instinctively attacked one when they had come to take him away. He sighed, Cat would have been fully in the right for killing him for that stunt.

Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose, he had to stop being so negative about things; it never helped. He laid down on his worn-out couch and sighed, he still had to grade his student's papers. Iruka slowly got back up and rubbed his eyes as he skimmed over Sasuke's paper before marking the A+ at the top like usual, and he continued the same process until he got to Naruto's. He forced himself to look at the paper with only half-answered questions and grade honestly, marking a D- at the top. Iruka sighed, knowing exactly what the boy was going through. He laid back down in hopes of getting some sleep before he had to return to grading.

Iruka's eyes shot open as a shrill alarm pierced the air. He spun around, still disorientated and confused. Iruka ran to the room to shut the alarm clock off and cursed when he saw the time. It was 7:00 A.M and he still hadn't finished grading or completed his lesson plan for the week. He ran an irritated hand through his messy hair that had somehow escaped his ponytail while he slept. Iruka quickly gathered his things in his arms and reset his traps. He ran to the jounin's house, hoping that something catastrophic hadn't happened while he was away.

Iruka rang the doorbell twice, tapping his foot anxiously; he still had work to complete. The jounin opened the door but seconds later and lazily trudged back to the couch where he had left his book.

"Good morning, sleep well?"

"I don't usually sleep," came the slow reply. The ANBU flipped a page of his porn, "You're off to a late start. From what I know, you're usually at the school by this time." Iruka shrugged and looked at him, "How much do you know?"

"Enough," the jounin drawled. Iruka frowned but said nothing and proceeded to cook breakfast while under the scrutiny of the ANBU. He wasn't fooled by the book. Sure, the ANBU could be reading it, but Iruka could feel the eyes trained on his back. Iruka worked quickly and efficiently, getting the meal ready in only ten minutes. He quickly set a piece of toast down, a bowl of miso, and a small piece of broiled fish. The ANBU closed his book and walked towards the table.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei." Iruka turned away and shoved the food down his throat much like Naruto would. He finished in minutes and gathered his things, not looking toward the ANBU.

"I'll be back for lunch. Sorry for leaving so quickly, I'm late." Iruka left for school, leaving behind a bemused jounin. Kakashi had been watching the brunette since he had set foot in his house. Iruka hadn't even had the time to comb his hair properly or change out of the clothes he had so obviously worn and slept in the day before.

"I'll see you soon," he drawled to no one in particular. Kakashi liked the sound of that coming from the chunin, a little more than he would have liked to admit.

Chapter 5

Iruka was out of sorts all day, to say the least; his whole situation recently was confusing. Even more so after he'd been sniffed up by a pack of dogs and introduced as the ANBU's caretaker. Now he felt even more responsibility for the other after seeing just how much the ANBU couldn't care less about himself. He spaced out occasionally, thinking of the best way to deal with the ANBU, while he was in the middle of teaching! Luckily, Sakura kept him on track, and he made it to lunch with some struggle. He was acting like Shikamaru with the amount of daydreaming he was doing during class.

When it was time for Iruka to go fix the very cause of all his recent problems and eat some lunch, a student stopped him for help with a topic he had no understanding of. The child did not even understand the basics; Kiba and math just didn't mix. The only reason Kiba had approached him was because his mother would scold him for a new one if he didn't start passing class. The reality of Kiba being able to pass without additional help would be a miracle. The brunette looked at the clock on the wall, knowing he would be unable to check on the ANBU for lunch himself.

Iruka had no way of contacting the ANBU, but he was worried that if the man missed another meal, he would go back for dinner and find him dead on the floor. That kind of death was not suited for the mysterious pervert. Kiba took a seat at his desk while he munched on a PB-J, waiting for Iruka to explain math stuff. Iruka decided to make a clone to send to the ANBU, it was the only thing he could come up with on such short notice. Kiba gasped when, all of a sudden, there were two of his teachers. Iruka paid him no mind and sent his clone on the mission of feeding the ANBU.

"Now, Kiba, what do you need help with?" Kiba shrugged, "I don't really know. Mommy told me to talk with you during lunch, and here I am."

"What did she say you needed help with?" Another shrug, and Iruka decided a full review of math would be best. It was hard to simplify the geometry behind the trajectory of a kunai and make it understandable to a second grader. Iruka also needed to concentrate on keeping enough chakra to support the clone going out of the usual range that clones usually went. Kiba watched in silence as he continued to eat the remaining bits of lunch and try to understand what the lesson was about.

Before long, the lunch bell rang, and students began flooding into the classroom while Kiba began cleaning up his mess with a slightly clearer understanding of second-grade math. He was a smart boy when he tried; that was the problem, he didn't try. Iruka's chakra was running out, but he didn't want to dismiss his clone until he was sure he had managed to shove food down Hound's gullet. Missing his lunch didn't help much either, but he would make it work. He smiled and welcomed the students back to class and told them to take their seats so he could start class.

Naruto was typically even more trouble after lunch, and Iruka had the worst time keeping his concentration on his clone with the energetic little fireball being rowdy. Especially since he was hyped up more than usual. Somehow, he managed to keep enough focus on his clone until he was sitting at his desk, taking a quick break while the students did their work. He released his jutsu, and the memories of lunch came flooding back. Almost nothing had happened.

His clone went, cooked, and helped with the ANBU’s bandages until Hound retired to his room and left his clone waiting in the living room until dismissed. Well, at least Hound ate food for lunch; he wasn't too sure since he never actually physically saw the man eat. He could only assume the food disappeared into the man's stomach while his back was turned. Iruka leaned back in his chair and cleared his mind so that he could only focus on the task at hand. Once done, he leaned forward and smiled at the class, "Does anyone need help?"

…

Several hours later, after grading papers after hours at the academy, Iruka trudged to his late-night job of working at the Missions Office. Mizuki was beside him griping about how life as a teacher sucked and that his class would do so much better than Iruka's since they were all rich and could afford private tutors. Iruka laughed nervously at that as he tried to let the comment not bother him. Mizuki was the closest thing to a friend he had, and to be honest, he wasn't the nicest of people. Still, he liked to see the good in others and ignored all the nasty comments Mizuki threw his way.

"We'll have to see, my class has a couple of riff-rats, but they're all smart, even if they need some extra help." Mizuki scoffed, "Iruka, Iruka," he chided.

 "Your class is full of nothing but useless brats that will all end up getting killed because of their stupidity. The only one with a chance is Sasuke, and that's a given, he's an Uchiha." Iruka's eye twitched in irritation, and his fists clenched at his sides, but he remembered who he was talking to and sighed.

"Don't say that Mizuki, they have big dreams. With big dreams comes determination, I think they will go far." Mizuki clicked his tongue, "Naruto Uzumaki will never become Hokage, no matter how much you believe in him." Iruka had had enough of dealing with Mizuki insulting him, "Not like any of those rich kids do their own work. I bet they will pay you to give them an A+ on their final exams."

 Iruka felt immediate regret, he insulted the kids for heaven's sake! He had sunk to Mizuki's level and, in doing so, disappointed himself. He vowed never to do it again. Iruka stormed off ahead, ignoring the calls of the silver-headed chunin. Luckily, he didn't have to work at the Missions Office with Mizuki, he simply lived nearby.

Good, because after what happened, Iruka didn't feel like being with him after he let his temper get the better of him. Iruka sat down quickly in his chair next to the Hokage, who eyed him suspiciously, "Is something wrong?" The brunette smiled, "It's nothing, Hokage-sama, just got in a slight disagreement with Mizuki on the way." The old man nodded knowingly, "Mizuki," he said slowly, "has a unique outlook on things." Iruka nodded as he took a report from Kurenai, smiling up at the pretty woman.

"Good evening, Iruka-sensei," she said coolly. The brunette smiled even wider. Kurenai was always perfect with her reports, they were stellar. He never had to hunt her down for reports that looked like they were written by his students. They had eventually gotten on talking terms whenever they met at the office.

"You're looking dazzling as always, Kurenai-san. Even after a three-day mission, does nothing faze you?" She smiled politely, "Thank you, Iruka-sensei. I, however, require a good night's rest, so I must be going." He smiled and waved her off. Her cool demeanor was always relaxing and had managed to calm him down in a matter of seconds, all due to her simply talking to him with that silky voice. No, he did not have a crush on her, but she was an extremely gorgeous female jounin, he would admit that much.

Iruka looked up at the person who stood in front of him and came up blank as to who he was. That was weird, he thought he knew every ninja in town. He smiled anyway, "Hello, what can I do for you...uh.." The man stood in front of him with his posture slouched, hands in pockets, and a nearly complete masked off face. He was a jounin, surprisingly, with abnormal spiked-up silver hair that reminded him of his earlier altercation with Mizuki.

"Kakashi Hatake," He drawled as he took a scroll out of his pocket and dropped it on the desk instead of handing it to Iruka. The brunette's eye twitched, already disliking the person in front of him. What was it with people who had silver hair and their egos? He picked up the report and unrolled it to reveal nothing but chicken scratch; hell, it even had a doodle! Sarutobi leaned back and watched the interaction in silence, exhaling some smoke from his pipe. Iruka rubbed his forehead, not understanding a word on the paper. He looked up at Kakashi Hatake, "Uh, is this perhaps a joke?"

"That's my report from my last mission. I forgot to hand it in." Sarutobi chuckled, and Iruka frowned. The brunette’s eyebrows creased together as his eyes narrowed, "This was due two months ago!" Kakashi shrugged, "I've been busy," he drawled. He tapped his fingers on the desk in front of Iruka, "Maa~ Why don't you just let it go? It's only a formality anyway." Iruka's mouth fell open by the sheer amount of audacity the jounin had in front of the Hokage!

He slammed his hands down on the table in front of him, "Have some respect! You are in the presence of the Hokage! Don't forget your place! Reports are filled out by everyone, even jounin!" The jounin smiled, well, at least Iruka thought he did by his singular eye forming an upside-down crescent moon.

 "I think you should follow the very words you preach." Iruka turned red, not from embarrassment, but he was livid. So, what if the other was a higher level than he? He chose to be a teacher! His rank didn't make him any less capable of doing his job than others! Iruka glared at the singular eye, "Nevertheless, Hatake-san, the report is unfit to be accepted. Please redo it."

"Sorry, no can do. I don't remember what happened. See, I suffered a concussion and lost my memory." He shrugged and anybody could tell he was full of bullshit.

"You seriously can't remember anything?" Kakashi shook his head, and Iruka sighed and leaned back in his chair. His arms were crossed as he rubbed his forehead to calm himself. He looked at Sarutobi, who was watching them with amusement, and sighed once again. He already knew he was a softy; he had a reputation amongst the jounin for chewing their asses like no other but still giving them extra time or slack on reports.

 They came to him when they needed more time, and this jounin was probably like any other who most likely got in his line, knowing Iruka would cut him slack. Iruka held up one finger, "This time and only this time, I'll let it go. However, if you try and turn in another report like this," Iruka waved the paper and pointed at the doodle for emphasis, "I'll have your head on a platter." Kakashi chuckled, a deep baritone that seemed to come from deep within his chest, "Thank you, sensei."

Iruka waved him off in annoyance, mainly because he didn't feel like chatting with him any longer, and he still had other work to do. Sarutobi chuckled, "He did suffer from some major injuries on that mission. He's been recovering until now." Iruka looked at the old man, getting the feeling that the old man wasn't being a hundred percent truthful with him, but he would never say that out loud to the Hokage. Iruka made a mental note to remember the appearance of the jounin and the name. Kakashi Hatake, what a weird name.

Work passed fairly quickly, and his shift ended around six-thirty, so he was just in time to head back and make dinner for the ANBU. Quite frankly, he was starving. Iruka had managed to hold out all day without his stomach grumbling, but now just the thought of food had his mouth watering. He put his hand on his empty stomach, he honestly had no idea how the ANBU managed to survive without eating a proper meal for presumably weeks. Iruka didn't eat lunch, and he was already on the verge of starving to death.

Iruka walked up the stairs to the ANBU's apartment and knocked on the door three times. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear as the door opened. Iruka smiled at the masked man, "Sorry about being a little late, things at the office got busy the closer my shift came to an end." He was met with silence.

"I'll just make dinner and I'll be out of your hair." The ANBU walked away and sat down on the couch; his porn held out in front of him. Iruka rolled his eyes, the other was grown, and he could do whatever he wanted. That didn't mean he had to agree with him reading smut in front of him. He went straight into the kitchen, smiling when all the leftovers, AKA his portion of lunch, were eaten. Good, that was a good sign. He took out a skillet with a cutting board and cut up a series of vegetables and chicken. Tonight's dinner was one of his personal favorites, chicken stir-fry. It didn't take long for a curious ANBU to poke his head into the kitchen to see what was being made.

Iruka giggled and added stir-fry to the list of things the ANBU seemed to like enough to eat, that and the omurice from lunch. Iruka got out a set of clean plates he'd bought the day before, since the ANBU had none. He evenly divided the portions before he walked over to the couch and set the plates down on the only table the other seemed to own. Iruka went back into the kitchen and returned with silverware before he picked up his plate and situated himself on the couch so that he was staring at a wall rather than the ANBU.

"I take it work was hard," came a deep voice from behind. It sounded familiar, he rolled his eyes, of course it was familiar, he had heard the ANBU speak before, duh. Iruka shook his head, "I had a student in need of help at lunch, that was why I had sent a clone. Did you get enough rest? You went straight to your room." More silence. Iruka continued eating his food, noting that sleep seemed to be a touchy subject. He'd have to be careful about what he said around the man.

…

Kakashi paused while eating when Iruka asked him about sleep. He didn't want to say that he had ditched the clone in the living room and left through the window of his room to see what had happened to the original. No matter how he looked at it from different perspectives, it still seemed creepy, so he decided to stay quiet. In truth, he had stalked the teacher throughout the day after lunch. Lazily watching from a tree or rooftop when he thought his position had been compromised by a daydreaming student.

Of course, he would have never been seen; he was an ANBU for a reason, but it never hurt to be sure. He had also been trailing behind in the shadows when he witnessed the fight between Mizuki and Iruka. Kakashi didn't have many true friends, but the ones he did had never once treated him like that. At the time, his hand had come dangerously close to throwing a senbon into the vital spot on Mizuki's neck to shut him up for good. Iruka had taken all his insults with a smile until he insulted Naruto, pushing him over his limit of niceness.

Kakashi could tell that Iruka had immediately felt guilty for what he said, he was good at reading people. Mizuki, however, had cursed him to the depths of hell after the brunette had fled the scene. Once again, his hand had been close to simply taking the other out after what he promised to do to Iruka after he had walked away. Now he had a good reason to watch out for the other. Mizuki was a walking time bomb, and Kakashi had a feeling that he wouldn't forget what Iruka had said anytime soon.

Kakashi had also been pleased with how Iruka had acted when he made his appearance in front of him. The brunette was strong-willed and feisty, he would never cease to be amused by how Iruka adapted to situations. Iruka had enough guts to tell a jounin off, and enough kindness to forgive said person in a matter of seconds. Though honestly, he had helped Kakashi out with the report he'd honestly forgotten to turn in. The report was just an excuse to see more of the brunette before dinner.

The Hokage had, of course, known why he chose to show his face, and the knowing look on his face had never left his face until Kakashi left. Iruka failed to notice the silent exchange while he fumed to himself after the jounin had put him in his place. Kakashi couldn't care less about rank, he simply liked pushing the chunin’s buttons. His reactions allowed him to have the most fun he had in a while. The two ate in silence, and Kakashi made plans to follow Iruka after breakfast the next morning.

 

Chapter 6

Iruka ran to the ANBU's house, stuffing numerous manila folders in the crease where his arm met his chest. He was late, yet again, and he was afraid it would start to become an increasingly bad habit. Things for him had just been out of whack since he met the ANBU, and it wasn't getting any better. Iruka knocked on the door lightly so as not to wake the ANBU up and frowned when the door opened, and he was greeted by a halfhearted wave. Iruka had yet to see the ANBU asleep since the day he picked the other up from the side of the road. Whenever he commented on it, the ANBU would become deathly silent or change the topic immediately.

"Good morning, sleep well?" Iruka nudged himself past the other and set his files for the Missions Office on the coffee table before entering the kitchen, knowing he would not receive a reply. The ANBU sat in his usual spot on the couch, holding up the usual book from the series. How many books were even in that blasted series anyway? Iruka cooked a simple breakfast, something that could be made in a couple of minutes: eggs and toast. He set it down on the table and moved the files out of the way.

Iruka ate his food quickly and put his plate in the sink to return just in time for the ANBU to re-mask himself. The ANBU took off his shirt, and Iruka took out the first-aid kit that was left by the sofa. Iruka took his time re-bandaging the chest covered in scars. He smiled softly to himself, "These wounds are healing so quickly, it's amazing! You should be able to start training again in no time!" The ANBU remained silent, and for the first time, Iruka wondered if the other considered him boring.

It made sense if he did. Iruka was a chunin-level schoolteacher while the other had been and seen so many places and things that it was understandable if Iruka's everyday life was boring. Still, the brunette smiled, "Would you like to walk with me to the school? It must get boring being cooped up here all day and having to recover." Hound nodded and replaced his shirt once Iruka was done.

"It does get a tad mundane." Unbeknownst to the brunette, Hound had already planned to at the very least stalk the teacher to the academy. He had also already started his training once again, but if he told Iruka that, he was sure to be scolded. The brunette smiled warmly, teeth and all, "To tell you the truth, I've been kind of worried lately. Sometimes during class, I feel like someone is watching me."

"I do believe that is part of the job." Iruka laughed nervously, "You're right. It must be my imagination." Hound adjusted his mask on his face, slightly nervous. Truth be told, the ANBU had lazily watched the teacher every day recently, starting after lunch while he trained in the morning. He also followed the brunette from the school to the Missions Office after what had happened with Mizuki the last time. Kakashi could not understand why the brunette would put up with the other, but he did.

"I'll check around just in case." Iruka relaxed at that, "Thank you. I can handle myself, but if they were to come after the students," He paused and scratched at the bridge of his nose. "Well, I prefer not to think about it." Hound put his hands in his pockets while he watched Iruka, the other shouldn't have been able to sense his eyes. He was famous for his assassination techniques, and no one had ever sensed him before that lived to tell the tale. So, one of two things had to be the answer: Iruka had phenomenal sensory skills, or he wasn't the only one watching the school.

The walk to the school was silent as the ANBU considered telling Iruka he did sneak out of his house every day to stalk him. He sighed his social skills were low, but he knew most people didn't take too kindly to being stalked by a killer. Iruka awkwardly waved him goodbye when they arrived, and Kakashi found himself wondering if perhaps he should have made light conversation. He shrugged and jumped onto the roof opposite the school, where he had a perfect view of Iruka's class. Kakashi lazily inspected the area, not finding anything particularly suspicious at the moment, but he didn't rule anything out.

 Genjutsu was common when someone meant to conceal themselves, so anything he saw could be simply an illusion. His chakra level was still considerably low, but it wasn't as if he would end up nearly passing out again, hopefully. Kakashi put his hands together, "Release!" To his surprise, he could see the area change. Kakashi observed the area until he found someone lurking in the bushes watching the classroom. He was behind the enemy-nin with a kunai to the other's throat so fast the enemy-nin didn't even have time to draw a weapon.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kakashi smiled behind his mask as the other hand stilled at the weapons pouch. "Now, do you want to tell me why a mist deserter is stalking a schoolteacher?" The other put his hands up in surrender, "S-someone paid me to rough him up a bit when I had a chance." Hound dug the kunai deep into the enemy ninja's throat, making a thin line of blood trickle from the slice. "Who?"

"I don't know! H-he wouldn't tell me his name!"

"What did he look like?" The other shrugged, "It was dark, and he had on a hood." Hound was tempted to twist the other's head and break his neck, but that would be pointless. The bottom line, someone hired a nameless assassin and allowed them to enter the village. Kakashi frowned and gave the other a swift chop to the back of the neck, knocking him out. He picked the unconscious body up and tossed the nin over his shoulder, walked over to the window, and tapped lightly on the glass. Iruka nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight he was met with. He hurriedly crossed the room and opened the window quickly. Kakashi smiled at Iruka when the other stepped back in surprise, but it was unseen behind his mask.

"So, someone was watching," Iruka exclaimed.

"Apparently so." Iruka cleared his throat as curious kids watched the interaction, "Well, thank you for believing me." Kakashi nodded and adjusted the body on his shoulder, "I'll look out for you from now on." Iruka blushed, "T-thank you." Kakashi smirked; now he didn't have to hide when he observed how the brunette’s well-being was.

"I'll warn the other teachers," the ANBU said simply. Iruka smiled and said one last thank you. Kakashi nodded before he jumped onto the roof and walked to the side of the building, where he knew Mizuki taught. When the ANBU tapped on his glass window with his captive Mizuki's reaction was a mix of surprise and rage at the same time. He concealed it quickly with a fake smile as he opened the window.

"I just thought I'd let the other teachers know I caught someone lurking around the school," Kakashi said simply. Mizuki's smile faltered for a millisecond, "Your reputation precedes you, sir Hound. I don't know what this village would do without you."

Kakashi stood there momentarily, simply observing Mizuki face to face, "There are a few weasels in every village that would do something like hiring a thug to terrorize schoolteachers. I'm just thankful I caught him before something bad happened." Mizuki's eye twitched, "I have a class to teach," he said angrily and closed the window on the ANBU. Kakashi left knowing it was most likely Mizuki who hired an enemy ninja to kill Iruka. Maybe he could waterboard that information out of the mist-ninja.

…

"What have we here?" Kakashi took off his mask as he knelt in front of the Third Hokage, "A thug hired to presumably kill Iruka-sensei." Sandaime took a puff from his pipe before exhaling slowly, smoke filling the air.

"Who would want to kill Iruka?"

"Mizuki,” Kakashi stated confidently. The Third nodded, "I take it there is no evidence to back up that claim?" Kakashi smiled lazily, "None whatsoever. Not unless I torture that information out of him." The Third chuckled, "Please watch out for Iruka-sensei. He is loved by many, and he plays an important role in this village."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

"Dismissed." Kakashi slowly stood up to leave when the Third cleared his throat, "Don't overexert yourself before you're fully healed."

"Maa~ You worry too much," the silver-haired jounin said sheepishly. The Third waved him off, and this time Kakashi made it to the door. A chunin passed him in the hall to presumably take the unconscious man to Konoha’s jail. The Mist Ninja was lucky that the Third Hokage wasn’t as fond of torture techniques as the Head of ANBU. The lazy jounin had time to kill, but he needed to watch out for Iruka, so he made his way back to the school.

…

It was halfway through lunch when Iruka first spotted the ANBU lazily reading in a tree across from the window. Still hidden, but noticeable enough that Iruka could see him. Iruka opened the window, "Have you eaten lunch yet? I brought an extra sandwich.” Iruka stepped back when the ANBU appeared in front of him in seemingly less than a second, "Y-your speed is formidable, Hound-sama." Kakashi easily took the proffered PB&J out of the teacher's hands.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei. I learned from the best." Kakashi left it at that before casually leaning down onto his elbows on the windowpane. Talking about his dead sensei was still a touchy subject, so he opted for a topic change. "I will be sent on a new mission this week," he said matter-of-factly. Kakashi always had a three-day recovery period, and at least a week before they sent him on possible suicide missions.

"That's outrageous! Your wounds have only just now begun to scab!" Kakashi chuckled, "I don't think they'll send me on an SS mission right off the bat, probably something simple like an S or A rank." Iruka's eyebrows furrowed, "I've never heard of an SS mission before." Kakashi waved it off, "Maa~ It's not something a chunin would know about." Iruka's eye twitched, and he crossed his arms.

"I've been on S-rank missions before! It's not like since I'm a chunin, I haven't done important missions! Besides, I'm a teacher, I should know all about the mission ranks, and I just found out there was one I didn't know about, it has nothing to do with rank!" Kakashi smiled underneath his mask, and there it was, Iruka's feisty side.

"Maa~ Forgive me, Iruka-sensei, I didn't mean it like that. SS missions are only given to ANBU, thus why a chunin wouldn't know." Iruka's face heated like a furnace; he had never been a part of the ANBU like most high-level ninja.  He turned his face away and cleared his throat, "I apologize for snapping at you." Iruka scratched at his scar, "It's just so many look down on me because of my rank."

"Why did you never become a jounin?" Iruka smiled, "I decided long ago that fighting wasn't for me. I always struggled in the final moment." He chuckled lightly, "Everyone has something they're good at, teaching is what I decided to do." Kakashi simply stared at Iruka, indifferent. Even amongst the ninja, ruthless killers like himself were few and far between.

"What an anomaly, a ninja who doesn't kill,” the ANBU stated flatly. Iruka chuckled, "I know, pretty weird." Kakashi briefly wondered if maybe he hadn't been involved in the war as a child, how he would have turned out. Would he have still been the same emotionless killer he currently was? Iruka struggled to take a life, while he could take a life at the smallest irritation. The tattoo on his arm burned, and he sighed, "Excuse me, Iruka-sensei, I'm being summoned."

"So soon? But you're still recovering!" The urge to pet Iruka’s head to calm him was overwhelming, he was around dogs too often. Kakashi let a small smile grace his features behind the mask, "I'll be back soon, hopefully." Then he left, appearing in ANBU headquarters moments later. He had his mask off and was eating his PB&J, though behind the sandwich, you could still not see the rest of his face.

"I see your angel has been feeding you well." Kakashi replaced his ANBU mask when he was done with the sandwich, the Head observing quietly for a glimpse of the elusive masked man's face. Unfortunately for him, Kakashi had never let anyone see his true face in all his years, and he wasn't about to slack off anytime soon. "I take it as the angel has also nurtured your wounds as well." Kakashi spread his arms dramatically, "He fell from heaven! Such a kind soul."

The Head tapped his fingers lightly on the desk and leaned back in his chair, "Are you healed?" Kakashi shrugged, mood changing drastically from playful to serious in a second, "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He would have preferred a longer rest period for his chakra replenishment, but he knew that was an impossibility.

"Good," The Head picked up a scroll containing an S-ranked mission. Kakashi picked it up, reading the scroll and memorizing it in a second with his Sharingan eye. Inside entailed a detailed description of how he was to get to the village hidden in the clouds and slay one of the lords by whichever method.

"How's Pig?"

"Better." Kakashi nodded as he rolled the scroll up and put it in his weapons pouch. He had two weeks on a solo mission to assassinate Lord Fukitachi of Lightning Country for his crime of stealing weapons and embezzling money from the Leaf village. The mission itself would be accomplished relatively easily due to the fact that he had met the man before when he was an undercover guard for the Hokage. Lord Fukitachi was an obsessively overweight man, with rolls you could probably find treasure in. He had beady eyes and wore nothing but the finest silks to flaunt his wealth, along with a countless number of gaudy rings. It would be easy to simply poison him and make it look like a heart attack.

Kakashi already had an idea what kind of poison would be ideal to use, one of the Aburame clan's hidden specialties, a poison derived from the toxins from a rare spider local to only the Fire Country. He stood there, hands in his pockets, already figuring out the quickest way to sneak into the Village Hidden in the Clouds. It would take him at least four days to get there, one to two days to assassinate Fukitachi, and another four on the way back, totaling around ten days. Kakashi scratched the back of his head, sighing softly, "I'm running low on supplies."

"The armory has new armor, a bottle of pills, a blanket, and two weapons pouches waiting for you. Ask for anything you think will be sufficient." Kakashi nodded, he already had the poison he wanted to use stashed away in an outlier hut near the border, where he kept anything of value. He had a personal mini-armory of weapons he kept from his travels. Kakashi was a collector of foreign weapons and poisons that any assassin could appreciate.

He had also received a bountiful supply of the poison from the Aburame clan for saving one of their kin, Centipede. Kakashi received a lot of unique things from saving his comrades in the line of action. He had received a specialized kunai from the Nara clan that, if aimed at a shadow, the person is paralyzed, and he can make a quick kill. They were also completely reusable, he had twenty. He'd also recently received specialized pills from the Akimichi clan, but he would never use them. Still, they were nice to have.

Kakashi himself had never had to repay some until recently with his so-called Angel. Iruka would probably kill him, or at least try, if he ever found out everyone in ANBU now secretly knew him as Kakashi's guardian angel. The Head secretly liked to gossip in his off time. Iruka was probably confused as to why almost every jounin would grin at him like they knew something he didn't. He could picture the confusion on the brunette's face as he smiled back at them.

Kakashi left the room to go to the armory, wondering if he should say goodbye to the brunette. That's what regular people would do, right? Say goodbye to their friend? He needed to take a lesson on socialization skills because then he wouldn't be so confused as to what was or wasn’t normal. Well, Kakashi was never one for goodbyes; they were usually always foreshadowing something. He was also not known for being normal, so he decided he'd leave as soon as he got his pack of things.

Which was exactly what he did. It was different knowing that someone might care if he didn't make it back. It made him, well, not want to die. Wanting to live for someone was a feeling that he'd forgotten long ago, until now.

Chapter 7

The mission went south fast. Lord Fukitachi had information of sorts from every village, a true worm in the underground world. Someone tipped him off about an attempt to assassinate him, and he was allegedly in the market for a newly hired bodyguard. Kakashi had made it to the audition, where he would display his skills, when every candidate was captured as a precaution. He went willingly and was placed in a solitary cell and tortured daily for three weeks.

The mission was still on: kill Lord Fukitachi and return to the Village Hidden in the Leaf. His identity was not compromised, of course, he'd abandoned his gear and mask and taken on a new identity. Kakashi didn't look like himself, he looked like a poor farmer from a small village not far from the Lord's residence. Kakashi's hair was brown from a non-permanent dye that would last three weeks and disappear, returning to the original color. His eyes were blue and matching, and even his nose was different, and he had a jagged scar near his chin.

No one knew who he was except that he came from the Village Hidden in the Sand. His torturer returned after a short lunch break because torturing something that was already broken was strenuous. He wasn't Kakashi, he was Hound, and he had been that way for the past two and a half weeks. Hound remained still as his hair was grabbed from behind, strands being ruthlessly pulled from his scalp.

"Tell me who you are."

"Tenuka Seuchi of the Sand."

"Yer shittin' me." His hair was released, and the man circled him, eying his every move. Hound was bored; he wanted to kill. He had to be strategic, because believe it or not, he found out some valuable information whilst being tortured. "Yer from that damn Hisao clan. Ya see, my boss knows what yer up to. We just want ta know where and when you'll attack." Hound said nothing, gazing absentmindedly. Isamu Hisao had been at the bottom of his bingo book for a while. Funny, how the name had come up several times now.

The man spat at his feet, "I think you need a nice bath." He clasped his hands together, signing quickly before a water prison jutsu formed around Hound’s head. It was mediocre and only lasted up to 100 seconds each time. The Hound didn't react, and that disturbed his torturer each time. It was fairly amusing to watch him squirm, but it was also why his torturer was convinced he was a professional.

The mission had been compromised because of a turf war between Hisao and Fukitachi. Apparently, the Leaf village and Hisao shared the same views about removing Fukitachi from the scene. Their reasoning, however, was different. Hisao wanted Fukitachi out of the way so he could presumably take over his role as the lead embezzler of funds from the Villages. Hound blinked when the water dropped over his body again for the seventy-second time as the jutsu broke. The interrogation had gone on long enough, and he had learned just about as much as the man in front of him knew.

Truth be told he had already planned for a situation like this when he staked out the area and found the holding grounds. Hound had been equipped with a senbon from day one and finally used it when the other came closer. He had stabbed it through his torturer’s eye with his bare foot and watched with boredom as the other groaned in pain before he finally died. Hound dislocated one of his shoulders so that his bound hands were in front of him rather than behind him like before. He grabbed a kunai from the dead man's pocket and cut the rope. Hound popped his shoulder back with a small grunt before he took the keys wrapped around the other's belt and kindly let himself out.

He walked slowly out of the holding cell and found himself in familiar surroundings. Hound walked into the woods where he'd hidden his equipment. He walked with a limp because his right foot had been broken in two places, and he'd been stabbed several times in the left thigh. Torture was torture, Hound just had a higher tolerance. The ANBU made his way to the hidden gear slowly, stumbling occasionally, but otherwise walking normally.

Hound rested at the bottom of a tree stump when he arrived at a certain canopy of trees. He changed clothes, finding comfort in the fact that they were clean, and he had shoes. Hound ate several pills and administered some first aid to his wounds. The ANBU remained still until nightfall, when he stood up and went to complete his mission. He was ready for a change in scenery.

…

Fukitachi did not make things easy for him, he was about as paranoid as an ANBU. Security had been tripled, and there was not a moment when he was alone. Hound watched carefully and waited for days before Fukitachi was finally alone after a guard went for a rare bathroom break. He did it quickly, forcing Fukitachi to inhale the poison through a cloth whilst he was asleep. Fukictachi didn't even have time to scream before an induced heart attack claimed him.

Fukitachi, however, had enough time to press an alert button as twenty ninjas came in seconds later. Hound fought them off, barely. The bodies lay littered across the room, the blood seeping into the carpet, making it sticky. Limp arms fell by his side as his pack, covered in blood themselves, circled him protectively. Hound roughly assessed the situation; he couldn't move his arms, but he had enough chakra to fuel his pack for another hour at least.

"We need to move," he said simply, and then they broke out of a window, shattering the glass. No doubt alerting the rest of the house if they hadn't already. The pack moved swiftly at a pace most ninjas couldn't keep up with while healthy, let alone injured. Hound kept up his pace with his pack, not falling behind. Pakkun noticed how worse for wear his master truly was. He stayed behind when the rest disappeared, and Hound didn't say a word.

Hound remained unfeeling as he landed on his feet each time he jumped from tree to tree. The two had been in the same situation countless times, traveling together in a life-or-death situation where normal people would have given up already. Pakkun worried constantly over whether he would have to find a new master, but he could smell a change. Hound was driven by something, and he wasn't going to stop until he reached his goal. The small pug was what little chakra he had personally at that point to stay with the ANBU.

The primal need to live had taken over as he surged forward at a pace even Pakkun was having trouble keeping up with. The pug saw a change in his master's eyes before he disappeared, knowing somehow his master would make it. Hound crossed the border, not even bothering with stealth anymore. He would kill anything that blocked his way. The ANBU made his way back to the Village, body so hurt he couldn't even feel it. The Hound stumbled several times, even falling after stepping on a weak branch. The ANBU landed with finesse and expertise; however, it sent bolts of pain through his entire leg. He broke his left ankle but continued anyway. The pace was immensely slower and frankly not good enough for him, but with two damaged legs, who could do better?

Hound was not deterred by something like a broken ankle or leg and sped up once again, he was running on pure adrenaline. The ANBU passed through the gates like a flash and went straight to the Missions office he knew Iruka would be. The killer shoved off anyone who tried to help, especially Gai, who had unfortunately been there as well. Being a Taijutsu master was the only thing that had stopped him from having his neck twisted. Hound one-upped the ninja with a swift chop from one of the injured arms.

Iruka stood up in shock at the scene he'd just witnessed. The Third Hokage tensed in his chair as he continued to smoke his pipe when Hound neared. Iruka gulped as the ANBU approached, he had just taken out one of the most skilled jounin when he looked like he could barely walk. Hound stopped in front of the brunette, leaning closer than was comfortable, inspecting him. He turned to the Hokage, "Mission Complete." His body locked suddenly and collapsed on itself, taking his consciousness with it.

Asuma, Genma, and Raido witnessed the entire scene, and for a moment were too stunned to move as they saw Iruka leap hurriedly over the desk to the ANBU's aid. Genma smirked at the brunette and picked up the limp body from the floor before Iruka could touch him. Iruka opened his mouth to tell him off, but Genma held his hand up and silenced him.

"Sorry about that, Angel. I want to say it happens, but it doesn't. He'll be at the hospital, but you don't know his name, so I would wait until he finds you again." Genma felt the other shift in his arms and frowned. Taking on a more serious tone than usual, "I have a feeling that won't be too long." Gai woke to see his friend being carried out and recovered faster than Iruka had ever seen. They all followed Genma out, and Iruka clutched his hands into fists at his sides.

The Hokage chuckled as someone started to clean the blood from the floor. Iruka's brow twitched and looked at the old man questioningly. The Third took a drag from his pipe, exhaling slowly, "It's been years since I've seen that boy with such drive." The old man looked at him with wisdom, and he knew instantly the Hokage knew something he didn't. Recently, it seemed like they all did. Iruka was beyond irritated for the rest of the night. Had Genma been flirting with him during such a crucial moment? It had been almost a month since he had last seen the ANBU, and when he finally appeared again, he was half dead! He had the urge to ask the Hokage, but he highly doubted the old man would give up the identity of the village's secret weapon to him. That meant he had to wait until the ANBU came to him again. Iruka was usually a patient man unless it was something personal. Iruka clenched his fists as he sat down to work, noticing the knowing smirks he was given by each jounin every time they handed in a report.

"He'll be okay," said Kurenai. "He's a strong man, now that he has something to live for." She smiled at him as he checked her Mission Report. Iruka nodded as he handed her another mission scroll, "Good Luck," he said absentmindedly. Kurenai chuckled, "I feel better already. After all, I was blessed by the Angel." Iruka’s eyes shot up at her, "What?"

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei, pardon my manners, I couldn't help it." The Hokage grinned and Iruka was starting to slowly get pissed off, were they seriously mocking him?

"Calm down, Iruka. They are not making fun of you, leave it at that." The brunette opened his mouth, but the Third simply shook his head to quiet him. Kurenai smiled softly, and his anger diminished, knowing she hadn't meant to offend him. Iruka sat back in his seat, arms crossed, "Why do they call me Angel, Hokage-sama?" He received no reply.

…

Kakashi awoke in the Hospital, tense and alert that he couldn't move his body. He relaxed only slightly when he noticed Genma, Asuma, Raido, and Gai. Asuma shushed him before he could attempt to use his vocal cords. Hospitals were the only time you could see him without a cigarette in his mouth.

"We already know what you are going to ask. You don't remember anything, do you?" Kakashi shook his head, the only thing he remembered was the need to survive. Asuma nodded and let Genma retell the story, seeing as he was the one who found the whole thing to be entertaining.

"Well, you walked into the Mission's Office half dead, knocked Gai out cold, and then collapsed in front of your angel and the Hokage. Nobody knows how you were able to move or even get there. The nurse says it will be at least two weeks before you'll be released. You're just lucky Lady Tsunade happens to be visiting at this time; otherwise, it would've been longer,” Genma said with a smirk on his face. Kakashi sighed, he hated hospitals. Normally, he could talk his way out or escape, but honestly, he couldn't even move his body.

Gai had tears flowing down his face, "What a passionate display of love and youth! I will never forget this for my entire life, my friend! I am touched and honored to be bested by such passion! My tears overflow just thinking about the way you looked at the Angel!" Kakashi ignored his theatrics, "Is he...injured?"

It was Raido's turn to speak, "If you are asking whether or not you attacked him as well, then the answer is no." Kakashi relaxed, so the only one he hurt was Gai. Gai was still spewing nonsense about passion, youth, and love, so he didn't seem to have been impacted. "I think the only thing Iruka-sensei was upset about was that now every ANBU Jounin calls him the Angel. He didn't know they watched him while you were gone."

"Who?"

"It was mostly Cat, Tortoise, Centipede, Shadow, and Raven who all took care of him. They told of their observations to everyone at headquarters. Watching Iruka has become a sort of pastime for everyone. I don't think there's any ANBU who hasn't watched him at least just to see who he is. Centipede and Raven caught two enemy nin within the first week, and Shadow caught one last weekend." Kakashi frowned underneath the sheet that politely covered half of his face. Iruka had been targeted after all. He should do everyone a favor a kill the traitor before he kills anyone else.

"It was not Mizuki. Someone else wants to kill Iruka for whatever reason," Genma stated practically reading his mind. The Jounin took on a more serious tone, even Gai.

"I've seen it myself! Someone terrible is targeting Angel!" Gai raised a fist, he had been one of Iruka’s primary protectors, codename Tortoise.   Kakashi absorbed the information with a calm mind. It was possible that the two missing ninjas from before were not hired by Mizuki. Unbeknownst to him, Iruka had become somewhat of a symbol amongst the ANBU while he had been gone. No one could kill innocent people without being broken. Iruka had the ability to seemingly rebuild and mend broken pieces.

"I saw him dutifully glue a shattered vase back together for hours! It was truly astonishing! He truly fell from heaven!" Gai's tears flowed down his face as he gave Kakashi a toothy grin and a thumbs up. There was no doubt in his mind that someone else had been the cause of the broken vase. They were testing him, and so far, Iruka was quickly becoming their idol. Kakashi truthfully didn't know how he felt about it.

"Iruka is a diamond amongst us. He's pure." The room fell into silence. Everyone was attaching themselves to seemingly the only source of light they had. Tsunade burst into the room with four training nurses following her like ducklings, while they could witness her brilliance in action. She eyed him from across the room while dramatically flipping one of her pigtails. Tsunade snatched the board with his file on it from one of the nurses before tossing it back.

"Brat, why is it that every time I see you, you have a death wish?" Kakashi would have shrugged if he could move. She glared at him before she took a chug of the sake she'd hidden, God knows where. No one dared to say anything about her drinking while on the job. Tsunade walked over to him, her heels clacking sharply against the tile. She closed her eyes; she still couldn't stand the sight of blood. Kakashi knew that she was probably only there because of a debt to Lord Hokage.

Tsunade put her hands on his chest, brows furrowing. "Brat, what did you do to yourself?" The question was irrelevant, she asked it every time she healed him. Tsunade knew exactly what was wrong with him. Several shattered ribs, torn tendons, four fractures between the two arms, a broken ankle, bruised kneecap, ripped tendons in the thigh, another broken leg, and a few minor lacerations, well, not a few, there were at least eight. Tsunade took her mind away from the blood by thinking of Kakashi as a bet of sorts. If she helped the brat out like always, he would help her when she needed it. Her hands began to shake, and she quickly stepped away from him, shaking like a leaf. Tsunade quickly washed her hands even though there was nothing on them.

"Get to work! Don't you know who he is?" She barked out orders but didn't turn around again until Kakashi groaned at the feeling of his ribs being put back together with chakra. Tsunade pushed the girl out of the way and closed her eyes again. "Idiot! If you do it right, it shouldn't hurt!" It was true that the chakra had a numbing effect on the body, making it the most efficient way to heal someone.

Truth be told it hadn't hurt; he just made the sound because he would much rather have Tsunade with her eyes closed than a newbie work on his chest. Kakashi had been in this situation far too many times, and each time had been unpleasant when newbies worked on him. Sometimes they didn't concentrate enough and left a part out, it happened once. He hated hospitals, but he felt himself being lulled into sleep, and this time he went willingly. Iruka was on his mind as he drifted into a heavy slumber.

Chapter 8

Over two weeks passed before Kakashi finally managed to seduce a nurse to falsify his papers so he could be released. He had felt healed enough since day two, but Tsunade was drunkenly determined to heal every scratch on his body. Kakashi felt better than he had in a very long time, but at what price? He hadn't even touched a blade since he was admitted. Kakashi felt naked as he walked the streets to his home without any weapons, but he didn't risk trying to get them back from the hospital. Tsunade was a smart lady, and he had no doubts she already knew of his escape.

Kakashi landed with ease on his rooftop, taking in his surroundings while he adjusted his ANBU mask. He frowned, noticing other familiar hidden chakras around his home. Kakashi slipped inside through his bedroom window without any trouble. He looked around and grabbed the kunai hidden under his pillow. Kakashi silently walked over and opened his door without making a sound. Someone was in his house, and ANBU were lurking in the shadows outside. He crouched down and turned to look over his shoulder into the living room.

Light came from the windows above his couch to bathe a familiar sleeping brunette. Work was littered in messy piles on his coffee table, and for once, his home looked lived in. Kakashi relaxed and put his kunai into his weapons pouch. He hadn't expected Iruka to be in his home, waiting for him. Kakashi walked behind the couch and looked out the windows before closing the curtains. The ANBU were getting out of control, to the point they were even spying on Iruka in his home. He was going to have to have a word with them later. Kakashi leaned over the couch, put his hand on the brunette's shoulder, and gently shook him.

"Iruka-sensei, Iruka-sensei," he called softly. The chunin stirred slowly awake, rubbing his eyes like a little kid. His eyes widened significantly as he realized who was touching him, "Hound-sama!" Iruka blurted out as he took in the shape of the mask. He sighed in relief, "Oh, thank god. No one would tell me how you were doing, and I couldn't come visit you in the hospital," he rambled. "I'm glad you're okay.”

Kakashi was stunned, no one had ever said that to him before. Those warm chocolate brown eyes were as radiant as the sun as they looked up at him. He smiled, not a fake one, or a half-amused smile, but a genuine smile. Iruka sensed a change in the atmosphere and became aware of his surroundings for the first time.

"Holy shi-eesh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude! I just came here to check and see, so I let myself in like always, I shouldn't have. I'm sorry I didn't mean to be so rude, but it was so quiet that I just fell asleep." Iruka smiled softly, "It's just, something always seems to be happening at home lately." Kakashi held his hand up to stop Iruka's rambling, " It's quite all right, Iruka-sensei. I understand."

Again, Iruka's shoulders relaxed, and that cute, shy smile appeared on his face, with a familiar pink hue to his cheeks. Kakashi frowned, the ANBU were going too far with their obsession if Iruka was uncomfortable in his own home. There was also no way he had left his home unlocked, meaning that someone else had broken in and disassembled his traps to let the brunette wander inside. He really needed to have a word with them.

Cat abruptly appeared before them, "Iruka-san, Lord Hokage wishes to have a word with you." Iruka was stunned for a few moments before nodding, "I'll, uh, be right back." Kakashi could only nod as Iruka ran out the door. Kakashi turned to his kouhai, "What's this all about, Tenzo?"

"Lord Hokage wishes to see you immediately, as Kakashi." Kakashi raised a brow, but Tenzo had disappeared before he could say anything. He scratched the back of his head before he went to his room to replace his gear with his regular jounin uniform. It was rare to be summoned by the Hokage as himself.

He was extremely late when he strolled through the doors into the Hokage's office. Kakashi was two and a half hours late, as a matter of fact. He had taken a leisurely stroll to the outskirts where his nifty little weapons shack was before returning at the same pace. To his surprise, Iruka was there as well, with his arms crossed, silently fuming. Kakashi halfheartedly smiled, "I'm afraid a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take a different route and got lost."

"Cut the crap, Kakashi-san." Kakashi frowned at Iruka's temper. He supposed he kind of deserved it if he had kept the chunin waiting. What was he doing here anyway? The Third loudly coughed to purposely get their attention, chuckling once he had it. Iruka was angrily tapping his foot as he glared at the silver-haired jounin.

"Now, now, Iruka, calm down. I will now explain the contents of the mission to Kakashi," the third Hokage interjected. Iruka huffed and put his hands on his hips, but he did not say another word. The Third took a long drag from his pipe before exhaling the toxic smoke. "Iruka-sensei has been specifically requested by Emperor Ryuzaki as a private tutor for his son Kato in a Foreign Teacher Exchange between the Leaf and the Mist. Of course, the Mist are not our allies, but a compromise for an armistice for three weeks makes this mission possible. Meanwhile, they will send their best tutor here for Konohamaru in exchange. Your purpose in this mission is to guard Iruka and the secrets of the Leaf to the best of your abilities in case of a breach of contract. They expect you two within two days. Iruka-sensei had already packed while he was waiting."

Kakashi nodded as he stared into the old man's eyes with his singular. Scratching his head as he opened the scroll the third handed him, a C-rank mission. It was simple enough, nothing extreme. He had never heard of a foreign teacher exchange before. Kakashi was an ANBU first, so he was very rarely assigned to an actual mission beyond that.

"Is this mission not perhaps better suited for another Chunin?" Iruka rolled his eyes at the typical jounin trying to get out of a lower-ranked mission.

"Perhaps," the Third laced his hands together, silently daring Kakashi to defy him. Kakashi shrugged, who was he to complain about a break for special missions? He rolled his shoulders, for once, not feeling sore. However, wouldn't it be better for him to go on another special mission while he was in such great shape? Maybe the Third thought he took too long with the last assassination. Or maybe he made a bigger scene than he thought he did in the Missions Office? He was told he only knocked Guy out. Did he hurt anyone else?

"Don't fret, Kakashi. This will be a learning experience. You are dismissed." Kakashi had half the mind to ask what he was supposed to be learning, but Iruka was already heading towards the door. He shrugged as he saw the old man wave them off. Kakashi kept his distance as he walked behind Iruka. He observed the way Iruka's shoulders tensed each time a jounin passed him, muttering angel.

Apparently, the hype had spread to every Jounin-ANBU as even Kurenai-san called him a blessed angel. Kakashi grinned as he saw Iruka's temper soar to levels he hadn't seen before. The brunette internally fumed; he felt as though he was suddenly being hazed by all the most elite ninja in the village, and he had no idea why. Genma and Raido waved them off with smirks and playful winks.  Kakashi frowned at that before Iruka turned to regard him for the first time since they left.

"Don't you need to pack?"

Kakashi shrugged, "I have enough weapons and soldier pills to last me three weeks." Iruka sighed, "I don't know why, but I knew you would say that. Luckily enough for you, I packed food for both of us and spare clothes in case." Kakashi nodded and decided it was safe enough to walk by Iruka's side in silence. As soon as they were a good mile from the gates, Iruka had had enough of the silence.

"Do you know why everyone calls me Angel?" Kakashi shrugged, pretending to think it over.

"You were once referred to by an ANBU as that, and it sort of, well, you know, stuck." Kakashi was doomed if he admitted that ANBU had been him. He hadn’t thought the Head of the ANBU was such a gossip for it to spread the way that it did. Iruka sighed, defeated. He only knew one ANBU, it could have been. Iruka rubbed his forehead, he would have to have a talk with the ANBU when they returned.

"Does that mean you're an ANBU as well?" Kakashi nodded solemnly, most of the jounin-level ninja in the village were. Iruka smiled softly, "I know most of the Jounin, but I had never seen you before. Are you new?"

"I've been a Jounin since I was 9 years old, so no, I'm not exactly new. I’m just very busy," Kakashi said nonchalantly. Iruka gaped so wide his mouth resembled a pufferfish, “What? How long have you been an ANBU?"

Kakashi pondered for a moment, "I believe I was 13 when the Fourth Hokage put me in ANBU." He frowned now, reminded of his loved ones he hadn't visited. Kakashi walked ahead, hoping Iruka could tell he wanted to drop the subject. They had at least a two-day walk to the Mist, and he was already icy, as Genma once dubbed it. It wouldn’t do him well to reveal too much information about himself anyway.

"Have I met you before?" Kakashi froze, had Iruka figured out his identity already? "Were you the one that I talked about, uh, Naruto with?" The jounin thought about it for a long while, vaguely remembering a hazy memory in a park. Now that he thought about it more, he remembered constantly watching out for the kid once he entered the Academy. The boy had no one else to look after him, it had become a pastime to at least make sure he was alive.

"Did we meet in a park?" Iruka smiled broadly, "Yes! That's it! I can't believe I forgot who you were. You never told me your name." Honestly, Kakashi had forgotten it had even happened. Kakashi simply shrugged; he had never been one to give out his name freely.

"You were right, you know, to give Naruto a chance. He's a good kid." Kakashi nodded, after all, the Third Hokage wasn't the only one paying, so Naruto could live a decent life. He had always donated a portion of his wages to support the troubled youth.  He desperately wanted to take out his copy of Icha Icha Paradise but restrained himself so as not to blow his cover.

"Truth be told, this will be my second time making this trip. To think that I will get to see Kato again fills me with excitement." Kakashi hummed, figuring that letting Iruka talk would be better than him trying to make conversation. He listened calmly as Iruka blabbered on in that cheerful way of his. "Kato is the young son of the Emperor. It was only two months after I started teaching that I was allowed to make the last trip. To think that I would be suggested to go again!" Iruka was smiling now, broad and toothy. Kakashi finally allowed himself to relax, "How long has it been?"

"Three years." Kakashi nodded, "Did you report anything suspicious?" Iruka shrugged, "It's the village Hidden in the Mist, where their children kill each other as a test to become a ninja." The brunette frowned in deep thought. Kakashi scratched his head, still confused as to why he was put on a C-rank mission. There was no doubt his secondary identity would most likely be discovered within the span of the next few weeks. Iruka was not stupid, and it wouldn't take long to think about how many jounin rank ninja in the village were also ANBU who had spiky silver hair. It was like figuring out Tortoise was Maito Guy by the exuberant displays of youth and love.

If Iruka had realized, he hadn't said anything yet, and Kakashi wouldn't purposely expose himself, though his reputation itself might give him away. He sighed, desperately wanting his fingers to touch a blade or the familiar pages of his book. They had been walking for around an hour by now, and the mission was already too slow for Kakashi's usually run-or-die-paced missions. If he had been with an ANBU squad, they would be nearing the border by now.

"Mah~ this is the slowest route I've ever taken."

"This was the route suggested by Lord Hokage," Iruka said whilst taking the map out anyway. "This route allows us to get there in two days rather than 3 and a half." Iruka carefully looked over the contents and then showed Kakashi. Kakashi sighed and put his hands in his pockets, "Why are we walking?" They were leaf ninjas; running through the trees was their thing.

"Lord Hokage said you would be weary from another mission, and to take it slow. He said to think of it as a vacation." The jounin frowned, he was not weary, if anything, he was more on edge from lack of fighting. The Old Man had said it would be a learning experience, for what exactly?

"I'm not weary, if we hurry, we could make it there by nightfall." Iruka gaped before adjusting his backpack, sighing, "I'll try and keep up."

…

They arrived at the gates two hours after daybreak, and Iruka was heaving with his hands on his knees from the constant running. The jounin had no idea about the concept of breaks and jumped from tree to tree without breaking a sweat. Kakashi’s pace had been God tier level, and Iruka felt as if he was sprinting a marathon. Who sprinted marathons? No one, it was about endurance.

"Fuck, I'm out of shape," Iruka cursed, a rarity on its own. Kakashi chuckled, "Mah~ I'm shocked, what a dirty mouth from a teacher." The brunette glared up at him from his position, the jounin looked as if he had hardly broken a sweat. Iruka stretched out and approached the gate with the scroll, allowing their entrance. A female Mist jounin took the scroll and opened the contents before glaring and throwing the scroll to Kakashi. He caught it with ease before casually putting it back in his weapons pouch.

"So, filth like you have been reduced to doing C-rank missions with Chunin, Kakashi Hatake." Kakashi chuckled before shrugging, "I suppose it could be worse; I could be guarding a gate." Iruka tensed, having no idea where the sudden hostility came from. They were supposed to be honored guests during the exchange. It was important for the villages to learn about each other’s cultures so as not to worsen their feud.

"Remari, hold your tongue. There is an armistice with the Leaf." An older, muscled man stated calmly. He was about the size of two Kakashi's put together. He looked at the two calmly, "Come with us, we will show you to the estate." Kakashi smiled behind his mask as he put his hands in his pockets, on guard, and the more serious than Iruka had seen him thus far. They were escorted by the two Mist jounin to a large building near the outskirts of the village. The atmosphere was tense, and Iruka looked to Kakashi for any signs as to what was happening. All he got was a coy smile before he went back to observing the aptitude of the other two. Remari seemed to be fighting an internal battle where she decided on whether to start a war or not by seemingly trying to kill Kakashi.

Iruka frowned but remained quiet, determined to ask what this was all about later. They arrived soon enough, thank goodness, because the tension was suffocating. Remari knocked loudly on the door, "The Leaf Ninja are here for the foreign exchange!" She shouted loud enough to wake up the village. The group waited several minutes before the door opened. Iruka didn't have the chance to react before he was barreled into and tackled, before his hands were pinned to the ground.

The brunette groaned as his head hit the dirt, and the wind was knocked out of him before looking into the cheeky face of a seventeen-year-old Kato Ryuzaki. His red hair was tied loosely behind in a simple ponytail as he looked down at Iruka with happy green eyes and a childish grin that made his freckles stand out. Kato was not the young boy that he remembered, and the position he found himself in had been more suggestive than he felt comfortable with. The young boy had turned into a young man after all.  

"I finally got you," he practically purred with a deep voice that sent shivers down Iruka's spine. Iruka gulped, feeling a pink blush coming to his face, "S-so it seems." Kato smirked before he released Iruka as he noticed the kunai around his neck for the first time. Kakashi held the kunai to the boy's neck until Iruka got up from the ground. He slowly loosened the pressure of the blade against the tender flesh with slight reluctance.

In the instant he had seen the ninja attack Iruka, he had equipped the kunai hidden within his sleeve and held it to the enemy's neck before Iruka could be killed. Remari had almost leaped with joy at the chance of finally taking down the man who killed her brother, before realizing who the kunai was held against. Instead, she held back, ready to attack Kakashi in case he did kill the son of the Emperor. Kato held his hands up in mock surrender, "Sorry, sorry, I couldn't hold back when I saw Iruka-sensei."

"It's all right, Kakashi-san, it's just a game we used to play between us," Iruka stated as he brushed the dust off himself. Kato smirked as Kakashi slowly lowered his weapon. Kato wrapped an arm around his former teacher's shoulders, grinning at their height difference now, he was taller than three years ago. Iruka was still as cute as a button, and still oblivious to all of his flirtations from years ago. Kato was determined to finally make Iruka-sensei his after all these years.

He locked eyes with the jounin who had accompanied Iruka from his village. Kato watched as Kakashi smiled and waved at him as if he hadn't held a kunai to his neck only seconds ago. The redhead smiled back, pulling Iruka closer, much to the brunette's confusion, but Iruka was as polite as ever and gave him a shy smile. Kakashi frowned at the blatant disrespect towards the teacher. Kato looked down at him and into those chocolate eyes he loved from years back, "Come, let me show you my home."

Chapter 9

Kakashi's eye narrowed as he watched Kato's hand travel to the small of Iruka's back and settle there. He watched their interactions together with growing irritation as they giggled and murmured to each other quietly. Kato showed Iruka every little thing imaginable, like vases, paintings, and practically whatever he could find as they walked down the narrow, well-lit corridor. They were being very slowly led to their rooms. Yes, plural, meaning that there would be two rooms.

Not only was Iruka's room nowhere near his, eight rooms away, but it was also directly beside Kato's. Kakashi could tell a lot about a person after meeting them, including their weaknesses. It wasn't hard to guess that ill intentions were hiding behind the sheepish smile. Kakashi cleared his throat, his eye narrowing when he was met with a glare for only a fraction of a second. Great, two people hiding behind false pretenses.

"Iruka-sensei and I shall stay in the same room for safety precautions." Kato's eye twitched before he smiled down at Iruka.

"I'm sure Iruka-san is very capable of protecting himself, and besides, his room will be next to mine. I will do anything to protect him if something happens." Iruka blushed and turned his head away from the intense scrutiny of Kato's gaze. Kakashi shook his head nonchalantly, "See, the thing here is that it's not your duty to protect him, it's mine. I have to respectfully ask if there are any rooms with two beds; if not, that's fine."

Iruka frowned the other two men were both so hostile towards each other for seemingly no reason. He looked up at the fine man Kato had become, a jounin at that, with pride for his student. People had been hostile since the moment they stepped through the gates, very different from the last time. He pursed his lips together, glancing towards Kato, "Is there no way for us to room together?" Iruka knew that Kakashi was right; it was best that they shared the same room in enemy territory.

Kato frowned before shrugging, "I just thought that you would be more comfortable in separate rooms. I will have someone make the adjustments immediately." With a snap of his fingers, a chunin was by his side, surprising Iruka with his speed. Kato just pointed at the room closest to his, "Add another bed to that room before dinner in case our guests would like to recline." Kakashi frowned that they were still in the room closest to Kato but said nothing.

Iruka yawned, "We ate before we arrived. I think it is time we retire." Kato looked saddened, but Iruka playfully nudged his stomach with his elbow, "Lessons start at 8 A.M sharp, don't be late. If I catch you running around the village chasing after girls again, I swear to God, I'll make you regret it!" Kato put his hands in his pockets, a sultry smile on his face as he leaned in close enough so that his and Iruka's noses were almost touching. He looked down at the pale lips that would be so easy to simply kiss.

"I'll be waiting." Iruka felt a cold shiver down his spine as Kato's hot breath ghosted against his cheek. Warning signals rang in Iruka's mind, and he tried to lean away. Maybe he wasn't reading the signals Kato threw his way wrong after all. The redhead was his student, though, and Kato had always been a flirt with the people he surrounded himself with as far as he could tell. The young man didn't have a chance to do anything further before Iruka was yanked away by the collar of his vest. Kakashi stood there, his face a blank sheet, "Thank you for your understanding and hospitality."

Iruka nervously laughed it off as a joke, it had to be. He punched Kato's shoulder, "Brat, don't forget who the teacher here is!" Kato smirked, "How could I ever forget, sensei?" Iruka blushed and scratched his cheek absentmindedly. Kakashi smiled and bowed before pulling Iruka into the room and closing the door. He waited several moments for the chakra force to move away before he spoke.

"You need to be more cautious of him; he's dangerous." Iruka rolled his eyes, "You're overreacting, he was joking, he's still just a kid," he dismissed.

“Besides, what was all that at the front gate about?” Kakashi looked around the room, his single eye taking in the futon in the corner. He remained quiet until he was sure there wasn't anyone else listening, before he shrugged.

"I don't know. She knew who I was, though. She most likely has a very good reason to hate me." Kakashi leaned back against the wall, arms crossed as he watched Iruka sit down on the bed. Iruka picked up his pack and set it on his lap before glancing up shyly and taking out a small bag of strawberries. He silently passed one to Kakashi, "Sorry about lying earlier, I didn't think you would sit calmly through dinner." Kakashi shrugged, he slowly pulled down his mask, already knowing that Iruka wouldn't look.

Kakashi watched as Iruka turned the other way, fiddling with his pack and rummaging through its contents. Iruka took out several books he'd planned to use for teaching and scratched his head, " I, uh, didn't think Kato would be a jounin already. I thought he might be a chunin since they wanted me to teach him. I don't know exactly what they want me to do here." Iruka faced the wall as he spoke. He picked up a small bag of grapes before he tossed them behind him, silently hoping the other man would understand. Kakashi caught them effortlessly, "Strawberries and grapes, boy, am I lucky I left the menu to you!"

"I don't need sarcasm from someone who didn't even pack anything. Take it or leave it." Iruka's shoulders sagged as he opened a secondary bag of strawberries and slowly ate them as he looked over his books. Kakashi sat silently as he took in his surroundings. He listened through the walls for any signs of an approaching enemy but found nothing. They must have sat in silence for hours before Iruka closed his books and turned around to look at Kakashi's masked face.

"It's late, we should get to bed." Kakashi smiled, "Sure, I'll stay up a little longer." Iruka frowned, looking as if he wanted to say something again before stopping himself. "Do you mind if I turn the light off?" Kakashi shrugged, "Do whatever you want." Iruka sighed before he flicked the light off. Kakashi watched as Iruka's breathing became slow and even after several minutes. He remained alert before he slowly closed his eyes, hours later, and fell into a state of half-sleep, the kind where you can still sense your surroundings.

…

Iruka yawned loudly as he woke up precisely at six in the morning. He turned to see Kakashi sitting in the same place he'd been the night before. Iruka felt guilty when he saw the unused futon in the corner. He should have offered the bed to Kakashi and not been so selfish, the man was still recovering after all. Iruka had just assumed Kakashi would be all right with the futon since he made no effort for the bed. It was wrong of him to assume. Kakashi seemed to be the type who was content without such things as daily necessities, like food.

Iruka cleared his throat loudly, and Kakashi slowly opened his uncovered eye to peer at the brunette curiously. The teacher straightened the clothes he slept in before he stood up, "Would you like to get breakfast?" Kakashi looked up at the ceiling quickly before he turned his eye to the door, already expecting the knock before it happened. He stood up and stretched as he let Iruka answer the door. A servant was waiting for them, "You've been invited to dine with the young master this morning. If you follow me, I will take you to the dining room for breakfast." Iruka chuckled nervously, "Thanks, just one moment." He looked back at Kakashi to see if he was ready. The only reply he received was a simple shrug, so he took that as a yes. He nodded to the servant as Kakashi sauntered his way behind him, seeming to take in everything with his singular eye.

The servant led them down the spacious hall before pausing and opening the door. He bowed as he gestured for them to enter the room. Kato sat up immediately as Iruka entered the room with Kakashi following close behind. Kato smiled cheekily as he waved at Iruka to join him. Kakashi noticed the quick glare he received, but it did not seem as if Iruka noticed. Kakashi rolled his eye, Kato was a real wolf in sheep's clothing, and Iruka was the next sheep.

"I see you still need to work on your manners." Kato chuckled and stood up to pull the chair out for Iruka. The teacher raised a brow at the gesture, and Kato winked, "I'm a gentleman when I want to be." Iruka shook his head, "Gentleman? You still seem more like a brat to me." Kato smiled, but Kakashi could see he didn't take well to Iruka treating him like a kid. Kato turned his attention to the masked man for a second before returning it to Iruka.

"So, sensei, what's up with the mutt on a leash?" Iruka frowned and hit the boy upside the head, "Have some respect, you may be a higher rank than me now, but don't look down on anyone from the Leaf. He's a very respectable jounin assigned to be my protector. " Kato smiled, "Aren't you proud? I'm way stronger than the genin you once knew. I know a lot of new things now."

"Once an idiot, always an idiot. I suppose you're just a stronger idiot." Kato laughed, and Kakashi watched the transaction carefully. He knew full well Kato's intentions; they were hard to miss unless you were an angel. Kato also seemed to know that Kakashi would be analyzing everything they said carefully. The two bantered playfully before breakfast was brought out. Iruka beamed as he saw the delicious delicacy that was his favorite food from the Mist appear in front of them.

Iruka couldn't remember what they were called, but they were like mini pies filled with fruits and topped with glaze. Iruka moaned loudly as he took his first bite of the sweet and moist pie, the flavors exploding on his tongue in all the right ways. Kato bit his lip, a sly smirk on his face, and put another fruit pie on Iruka’s plate. Kakashi was stunned momentarily as he looked at Iruka, whose face was slowly turning red. He’d been caught so off guard he almost forgot they were in enemy territory.

"Sorry, I didn't realize what I did," Iruka coughed as if some food had gone down the wrong pipe. Kato shook his head, obviously pleased by the brunette’s reaction.

"I'm glad I remembered they were your favorite," Kato stated. He turned his attention to the Jounin, "Why don't you try one?" Kakashi smiled under his mask and took one off Iruka's plate rather than his own. Iruka looked at him warily before he nodded his approval and turned to engage Kato in conversation again, allowing Kakashi his privacy. Kakashi ate the tart quickly, deciphering the taste for any possible poisons. He had a high tolerance for the poisons and several antidotes, but that didn't mean he couldn't die. He briefly thought about the tasteless poisons Mist ninjas were known to use in case of side effects.

"You two must be close. Iruka was always so finicky about others touching his food," Kato smiled as he eyed Kakashi up and down. Iruka shook his head while he crossed his arms, "I would have been fired if I let the son of the Minister have bad manners! Besides, you had the same thing on your plate, you just don't like vegetables, especially peas." Kato made a quick face of disgust, and Kakashi could tell it was genuine. The expression was childish, and if Kakashi were any other person, he would abandon his insecurities about the kid in front of him, but he knew better.

Kakashi knew better than anyone what could happen when you begin to trust. He learned the hard way about why it was better not to underestimate any ninja. The silver-haired jounin would almost be insulting the boy if he let his guard down. Kakashi continued to remain apathetic towards the situation since it was harder to kill someone you care about. He thought about Rin. She had always brought him bentos so he would eat properly. Kakashi’s thoughts turned towards the brunette sitting next to him, smiling fondly at the similarities. He was determined to protect Iruka, he would not fail anyone else he cared about again.

The thought that he cared for the chunin surprised him more than it should. Caring for someone was painful for an ANBU. You could so easily lose them or have that weakness used against you. It was wiser to simply abandon any feelings entirely. Without feelings, it made the job easier and less damaging to the psyche. If you didn't care, you could never get hurt by anyone. Caring was a weakness to a weapon used only for killing.

Kakashi was a broken man, he'd seen and done far too many terrible things in his lifetime. He ran a hand through his spiky hair at the epiphany of him feeling something. Kakashi hadn't cared about anything in years, not even his own life. It had surprised him so much he had let his guard down in the presence of a possible enemy jounin. He schooled his features quickly and vowed never to get distracted like that again.

Kakashi didn't know the depth of his feelings, the sensation being so foreign after so many years. He only knew one thing, and that was that he cared about Iruka in some way or form. Perhaps, just maybe, this is what the Hokage wanted him to know. That, even after years and years of blocking out emotions, he was still human. Kakashi quickly blocked any more newfound emotions; he was still a weapon, and that part hadn't changed. He glanced at Iruka, who was still casually chatting with his old student.

"Excuse me, Iruka-sensei, I think breakfast has gone on long enough." Iruka flushed and looked down at his lap. Kato glared at him for his suggestion before he returned his attention to the brunette. Yet again, Kakashi felt as if he needed a lesson on how to talk to people. He wasn't sure what he said wrong, but to make Iruka embarrassed probably wasn't for the best. Kakashi frowned in confusion. What he said was the truth. They were on a mission, and quite frankly, the sooner they finished, the better.

"Pardon me," Iruka chuckled nervously, "I had forgotten the time." Kato smiled, and Kakashi classified the look in the boy's eyes as adoration. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. Kakashi recognized Kato had feelings for Iruka, he was easily able to classify them as love, though he had no experience in that area. He was trained in observing and classifying characteristics of people, it was part of the job description. As he watched Kato, he could tell that those feelings could easily turn volatile if triggered, which was what made him dangerous.

"It's quite all right, sensei. I enjoy watching your passion whilst you talk, it's quite engaging." Kato crossed his hands, smirking as Iruka flushed red again. He enjoyed watching Iruka and even enjoyed simply listening to the sound of his voice. "Since we must, let's get started with our lesson, shall we?" The freckled redhead smiled brightly at his true love of several years. Kato was convinced he could get Iruka to love him back; all he needed was some gentle coaxing. He wasn't evil, he just couldn't let Iruka go and leave him behind all on his own again, not this time. The mist ninja that he had ordered to kidnap Iruka from his village had failed thus far. This time, he would keep Iruka with him at any cost.

Iruka stood up from his chair and stretched his arms behind his back briefly. He made sure to note to himself that Kakashi would get the bed tonight. It was only fair, seeing as how the jounin had looked distracted by something throughout their entire meal. Outwardly, he stayed the same, never expressing any emotion on his poker face, but Iruka knew. He knew that something had bothered Kakashi enough to let his guard down for several seconds. Iruka was impressed by how quickly Kakashi had realized what he had done and how fast he had corrected it. If he hadn't secretly been watching him out of the corner of his eye, he would have missed it entirely.

Iruka was surprised, to say the least, that Kakashi had momentarily dropped his stoic professionalism as a guard. Kakashi was very similar to the elusive ANBU he cared for back home. Iruka had already concluded that they were probably the same person. He knew all the ninjas in the village, there was no way he couldn't put two and two together after observing his behavior for a bit. What other person in their right mind would only bring soldier pills to eat for two weeks? Iruka had also been slightly nosy when he secretly looked at Kakashi's file. He was probably the only person in the village to have a medical file available in emergencies. Anything else had been blacked out, and it was impossible to read.

Iruka had been so distracted by Kakashi while conversing with his student that he felt like a bumbling fool. He had even so unprofessionally disregarded the time, making them thirty minutes later than they should have been. Iruka followed quietly behind Kato as he led them to the room, they would have their lessons. He only looked up from the floor when Kato put his arm in front of Kakashi, blocking him from entering. Kato smirked, "I'm afraid you must remain outside since anything said in this room is strictly confidential information between our villages. I hope you understand."

Kakashi frowned at the way Kato had looked all too pleased to say that sentence. He shrugged lightly before the door quickly slid closed. Kakashi waited for two minutes before he decided to follow his gut and not leave Iruka alone in the room. He lightly walked up to the ceiling, concealing his chakra, before he used an earth jutsu to pass through the ceiling into the attic. Kakashi sighed quietly at the heat of the attic before lightly taking several steps to the left so that he would be over the classroom. He sat down and uncovered his Sharingan so that he could at least see their chakras temporarily.

Kakashi had developed a fine-tuned ear, so he was able to hear the conversation and everything that occurred in the room. He quite frankly didn't care if any of the information was private or confidential; his mission was to protect Iruka. Kakashi was also a hundred percent positive that Kato had locked the door when he closed it. He most definitely didn't want to simply stand by and wait while Iruka was locked in the room with an enemy jounin who had his sights set on him. However, due to Iruka's angelic and caring personality, all innuendos had gone right over his head.

He closed his eye before he took a small bottle out of his weapons pouch. A gift from Centipede, a mosquito, trained to follow only Kakashi's command. While he wasn't willing to give his entire body to a colony of bugs, he did find the stealth of the Aburame clan impeccable. He had copied the technique easily enough so that he could control any bug of his choosing. Kakashi opened the lid and let the small bug go free. He had momentarily forgotten that he had brought the bug along with him.

Kakashi quickly recovered his eye and watched as the mosquito found a small hole in the ceiling to fly through, lucky him. He didn't let his guard down, but he relaxed slightly since now he had the bug to be his eyes, even if it was from a bug's point of view. He unbuttoned a pocket on his vest as he took out the little orange book he brought. Kakashi was at the part where the protagonist was stranded on the island with twelve sexy female models. He quickly resumed where he left off, somehow knowing that Iruka's lesson would last forever.

Chapter 10

To say Kakashi was surprised when he lost connection with his mosquito only an hour later was an understatement. He had to admit he hadn't been paying attention as much as he should have. Makeout Paradise did that to a person. However, he hadn't lost control of his chakra flow or let the mosquito fly dangerously close to the two. Kakashi leaned forward and uncovered his Sharingan eye to see why he had lost connection, wondering if the jutsu had a time limit. It took a minute or two to find a chakra source that small, but he found it in the back corner of the floor. It wasn't hard to tell that the bug died; it was surprising to see that a miniature senbon about the size of a needle was the cause of death.

Kakashi frowned as he recovered his eyes and put his book away. The fact that Kato sensed a chakra presence that small was a near-impossible feat on its own. He didn't have any doubts; Kato already knew he was watching. He had been silently challenged. Kakashi sat back and crossed his arms as he assessed the situation. Kato had purposely killed his mosquito as a challenge, which was simply not acceptable. He didn't particularly care that the bug had died; it was more along the lines that the gift had been killed as a challenge that bothered him.

Kakashi wiped the sweat off his brow as he stood up and made his way to the first level. He was careful as he used his Earth Jutsu and landed quietly on the floor. Kakashi took a second to relish in the cool air before he picked the lock on the door. He lightly tapped on the door before opening it, interrupting Iruka's lecture on the politics between the two nations. Iruka looked at him inquisitively as he watched Kakashi take a seat in the back corner of the room.

"Don't mind me, I was just tired of being run over by maids while waiting in the hall. I'll be quiet, ne~?" Iruka rolled his eyes before he cleared his throat and quickly resumed what he was talking about. Kato didn't say a word as the lecture droned on for another hour and a half. Iruka smiled awkwardly as he observed the two jounin who barely even moved. It was almost as if he had been talking to himself the entire time.

"Shall we take a break and let the information sink in for a bit?" Iruka relaxed when Kato smiled softly. Kato had been looking so serious that he had started to worry. He put his hand on his student's shoulder, "Are you alright? You haven't said a word almost this entire time! If you're feeling sick, we can pick up again tomorrow. I highly doubt the other teacher has gotten this far with Konohamaru-kun." Kato smiled broadly and shook his head. Iruka was too cute, worrying about him.

"I'm fine, I just have a lot on my mind right now." Iruka nodded before he removed his hand. Kakashi stood up from his place in the corner and stretched lightly. He smiled sheepishly at Iruka, "Pardon me, Iruka-sensei, but I forgot to pack some essentials." He turned to Kato, "Do you mind if you resume your lesson after lunch? I need Iruka to be my guide around the village." Kato pursed his lips together, making them a thin line. The boy shrugged lightly, "Would it not be more convenient if I had a guard lead you?"

Kakashi shook his head and put his hands in his pockets, "See, the thing here is that my mission is to protect Iruka-sensei, at any cost. I can't have you rudely obstructing my mission any more than you already have, so I must insist that I borrow Iruka-sensei." Kato clicked his tongue, shocked at probably being treated like that for the first time. While Kakashi never raised his voice from the usual monotone drawl, the message was clear. Iruka stood there with his mouth open, wondering where the hell that came from so suddenly.

Iruka nervously stood in front of the mist jounin to stop the possible fight before it happened. He gulped, "I apologize for my, uh, partner's lack of tact about certain things. We don't mean to offend you, it's just that we should be together by any means, for village security and all that." Iruka chuckled softly, a nervous habit. "So, um, we'll be back around one?" Kato's face was unreadable as he nodded, and frankly, that unnerved Iruka more than it probably should have. Iruka didn't even have time to think about anything else before he was being pulled away. He bit his lips to remain quiet until they were quite a distance away before he turned to Kakashi.

"What was that all about? He's the son of the emperor! Are you trying to get us killed?" Kakashi silently pointed upwards at the ceiling to the hidden ninja; his chakra was concealed perfectly, but his scent was so strong it almost hurt his nose. Iruka's eyes widened in realization before he carried on so as not to give away that they knew they were being watched. "That was disrespectful, and you know it! What do you even need?" Kakashi waited until the other nin crept away before he spoke, "One, the brat challenged me first, just so you know. Two, I need underwear~"

Iruka sighed in exasperation, "When did he challenge you?"

"He killed my bug." Iruka almost face-palmed at the absurdity of the statement.

"You acted like that over a bug?" Kakashi sulked at the exasperation in Iruka's voice. It did sound like a stupid reason to get mad. He thought about defending himself, but any excuse he came up with would just make him sound like a brat. Kakashi scratched his head in confusion. How was he the one in the wrong when it was Kato who interfered?

Iruka shook his head, "Kato-kun has a high ranking in this village. I know to you he may seem like a kid, but he's been trained to become the next Mist Emperor since birth. I apologize if he's offended you; he simply doesn't know better." Kakashi put his hands in his pockets as they exited the building. At his age, Kakashi had slain many enemies in battle, and he guaranteed Kato was the same.

"He's not a kid anymore, he knows exactly what he did." Iruka raised a questioning brow, but Kakashi said no more, lost in his thoughts. There had been sharp killing intent with the accuracy that it took to take down a singular bug mid-flight from several feet away. It wasn't safe to be in the midst of the enemy village, who they fought most. Kato could do anything he truly wanted, and they couldn't do shit. Kakashi contemplated abandoning the mission and escaping with Iruka during the night, but that would start a war. The last thing the Leaf village needed was a war with Orochimaru on the loose. The traitor would be back eventually; it was only a matter of when.

Kakashi turned when he felt a small tug on his sleeve as Iruka led them into a small convenience store. Iruka quickly grabbed a bag of generic boxer briefs off the shelf and then went straight for the snacks. Kakashi whistled lightly, "I always figured you were the tighty whities type." Iruka glared at Kakashi before he shoved the pack into the other's hands while he grabbed numerous snacks off the shelf. Iruka grabbed a water bottle and then proceeded to the checkout.

Iruka smiled brightly at the young clerk who had taken several steps back in fear, obviously not a ninja. "Would you please check these out for us?" He frowned as the young man shook his head very adamantly. "Why not? We currently have an armistice with your village!" Iruka hadn't yelled, more like firmly stated but it still looked like the man was about to shit his pants. He softened his gaze, "Would you please check us out, we're not here to hurt you."

The clerk held his hands up defensively, "F-free, K-kato-sama's o-order!" Iruka nodded slowly, "Thank you, then, would you be so kind as to bag them?" Iruka smiled brightly at the hesitant nod and incredible speed his snacks were bagged. He took the two bags worth of snacks and new underwear, "Thank you very much." He handed one to Kakashi, and they quickly made their way out of the small store.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone so scared for their life," Iruka commented. Kakashi shrugged and transferred the bag, so his dominant hand was free, "I'm used to it." Iruka cleared his throat awkwardly, "Well, uh, I got you a water bottle so that you can at least drink water. I know you think they'll try to kill you, but they won't poison their entire water system to kill you. Most of the snacks are for you, but those strawberry mochi are mine." Kakashi chuckled lightly, he was so going to eat those first.

Kakashi was rummaging through the bag of snacks when they first saw Kato again. Kato crossed his arms before he purposely blocked Kakashi's path. Kakashi ignored his antics and brushed past him, not even looking up from his snacks. Kato bit his lower lip as he turned and shoved Kakashi back. That did make Kakashi look up. Iruka gulped as he noticed Kakashi's change in posture almost immediately.

"I challenge you, Copy Ninja, to a duel!" Iruka sighed because, of course, his student would be rash enough to challenge a ninja ranked in the top ten of the bingo books. He was certainly similar to a rambunctious blond he knew back at home. Kakashi smiled, "I'm not sure it's permitted, I respectfully decline."

"Cut the bullshit and fight me!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible amidst a village of enemy nin, I'm utterly outnumbered. ~" Kato smirked, "No one else but me will touch you, and if they do, I'll kill them myself." Iruka shook his head solemnly, "Kato, please think rationally. If you get hurt, we'll be killed instantly, and it will start a war." Iruka stepped in front of Kakashi, hoping to keep the peace. He wasn’t sure what had triggered this sudden outburst from the redhead.

"What makes you think I'm the one who's going to lose Iruka-sensei? I'm a jounin now, don't look down on me, Iruka-sensei!" Kakashi raised a hand to silence Kato's tantrum, "I need full assurance that both Iruka and I will walk away with our lives and that there will be no war under any circumstances."

Kato scoffed and tossed a scroll Kakashi's way, "A letter, from my father." Kakashi tore off the seal to read the chicken scratch before he rolled it up and placed it in his pocket. In case he did lose, he needed it, at least for Iruka. He had no doubts about what would happen to the brunette if he should somehow die. Iruka looked nervous as he grabbed Kakashi's sleeve, "Are you really going through with this?" Kakashi shrugged, "I told you, there are certain things you're not seeing about Kato. He's not a student anymore, he's a higher rank than you. As far as I'm concerned, this is the reason I was put on the mission."

"Your mission is to protect me!"

"I will, with my life if I have to." Kakashi smiled softly, "I promise." He handed the snack bag to Iruka. "Lead the way." Kato nodded, glancing at Iruka briefly before he turned and motioned them to follow. He led them to an open clearing surrounded by onlookers. The challenge was public knowledge, a battle between the Leaf and the Mist. Iruka shuffled behind him, more on guard and alert due to the sheer number of ninjas. Kakashi silently scoped out the number of possible enemies, twenty-nine and counting. He had taken out more previously, and he didn't doubt Iruka's abilities; he silently prepared himself to die if they needed to escape.

Kakashi was immune to torture, he was trained to give them just enough bullshit information to stay alive. Iruka, well, it was obvious he had never really been in that type of situation other than possible simulations that were required. Plus, he had a feeling that if they were captured, Iruka’s experience in the Mist ninja would be drastically different. Kakashi put his hands in his pockets as both he and Kato walked into the ring, Iruka on the sidelines with the bags. He prayed that Iruka had gotten his message.

There was a judge, much like the ones at the chunin exams, who stood between them. Kakashi observed each and every one of the spectators, attempting to decipher their skill set. Kato stood in front of him, silently fuming as Kakashi made no note of him. The judge looked at each of them, "Are you ready?" Kato nodded and got into stance, Kakashi shrugged.

"Begin!" The fight didn't start with a clash of kunai. Kato jumped back and drew his weapons of choice, senbons. Kakashi continued to observe until his singular eye fell upon Kato. Two calculative type killers usually made for a long battle, but Kato had a grudge. Kato went on the offensive first as he aimed for his vitals. Kakashi dodged the smaller needles hidden beneath the others in the nick of time. Sure, they were small, but that didn't change the fact that they could pierce with the right amount of force. Kato clicked his tongue as he withdrew a chain of kunai connected with a wire.

Kakashi waited because that was the type of person he was. He was famous for it back in the village. Kato was indeed a weapons master and a formidable one at that, but there was more, and he could feel it. Kakashi put his hands together as he made four shadow clones, only to watch as they were struck down moments later. This was going to take a while.

The battle of weapons continued until dusk, when Kakashi first saw a glimpse of Kato's power. Like him, Kato had been waiting for the opportune moment when the mist thickened. Kakashi wasn't surprised when he felt the first kunai slice through the skin on his left arm. The situation worsened as his right calf was cut, and he could no longer find Kato's shadow. He had disappeared into the mist while he silently manipulated the shadows of his weapons to disappear as well.

Instinct could only go so far as he was assaulted with numerous weapons. He managed to block most, but it was impossible to dodge them all. Kakashi bit back a groan as a shuriken pierced the back of his thigh. He had let his guard down enough to be captured in a genjutsu. Kakashi felt the dimensions change as he spiraled into a world where he was chained to a post. There were only seconds before red-hot flames flickered to life, easily growing as they climbed the post like a vine. Kakashi howled in pain as his body was burned from head to toe. The charred skin on his feet turned black when they began to crumble and turn to dust.

"Release!" As soon as his senses returned to the mist, Kato made his move. He barely had enough time to stop the kunai aimed for his heart while the others punctured his skin. Another set of kunai connected with the wire wrapped around his body, one administering the killing blow to the neck. A sharp cry was all that the spectators heard before the mist thinned enough that the two became visible. Kato dropped to his knees as lightning shocked the air around him. His hands were burnt nearly to a crisp, like the genjutsu where he had held the metal wire used to manipulate the weapons.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, unharmed. He hadn't meant for his lightning clone to almost kill the son of the emperor. Well, he supposed it was fair since Kato had technically killed him first. Kakashi had merged with the mist as soon as he first noticed Kato's hands move, copying him instantly. He looked towards the crowd where Iruka was being held to the ground against his will, not in any immediate danger, as there were no weapons drawn. Kakashi waved as he noticed the look of shock on Iruka's face.

Iruka was stunned as the scene registered in his brain. He had seen Kakashi stabbed in the neck, but Kato was the one panting on the ground. He had been pinned to the ground as soon as he rushed forward to try and intervene in the match to save Kakashi. Kato cursed as he slowly forced his body to stand. As soon as he had felt the hair on his arms tingle, he instantly abandoned any weapons he had been holding. He wasn't fast enough not to get struck by the wave of electricity. Kato cursed as his body felt like it would collapse at any second.

Kakashi frowned as the other ambled his way to the weapons pouch, which he threw away. If Kato continued pushing his body to the limit, his heart could go into cardiac arrest. He watched silently as a hand grabbed Kato's ankle and dragged him into the earth. Kakashi's clone disappeared, and he sighed as Kato struggled to get out, even though his entire body was trapped underground. He turned sharply and sauntered over to where Iruka was being held down.

"If you would be so kind as to get off of my partner now, that would be much appreciated," Kakashi said evenly. The two mist nin quickly scrambled away while Kakashi held out his hand to help Iruka up. Iruka graciously took his hand and stumbled to his feet. He absentmindedly wiped the dirt off his uniform. Iruka shouldn’t have bothered being worried about the legendary ninja.

"Why did they attack you?" Iruka's face did the thing where it turned red as a tomato while he purposely avoided Kakashi's singular eye.

"I, uh, never mind that, what happened with you?" Kakashi shrugged, "I think you already know what happened." He turned to the closest mist nin, "Why don't you guys dig the young lord out before he hurts himself further?" They grumbled something nonsensical, insults probably, but did as they were told. Kakashi put his arm around the brunette's shoulders and ushered him away from the other spectators so that they could return to Kato's estate. The walk was quiet as they made their way back beneath the darkening sky.

"Are you alright, Iruka-sensei? Did they hurt you?" Iruka scoffed but didn't reply. Kakashi scratched his head in confusion. Where had he messed up this time? After being with Iruka for an extended amount of time, he had been almost positive his people skills had increased. So, when exactly did he fuck up enough to make Iruka mad? Kakashi followed close behind as Iruka stormed into their room.

"Why are you mad at me? Did you want him to win?"

"Of course not!" Iruka all but threw the grocery bags on the ground before he sat exasperatedly on the bed. He rubbed at his temples as he tried to clear his mind. The sight of Kakashi dying had brought forth all sorts of emotions that he had very adamantly been denying. Fuck, an internal freak-out over just exactly what those feelings might be only made them seem more real. Kakashi remained quiet as he tried to figure out what was wrong.

"Look, it was just a shock for me to see you die. That's all it is." Iruka felt like Kakashi could easily see through his lie, but well, that's what he was going to keep telling himself. The shock of seeing a friend die always brought forth strong feelings. Yeah, not those kinds of feelings his inner voice said sarcastically.

"You should rest; you look pale."

"No, not yet." Iruka threw the crinkled seal he'd hidden in his pocket at Kakashi. "Did you think I would just leave you behind in case things had been worse? What was that even for? A paper bomb, did you want me to commit suicide?"

"You're being hysterical. It was protection, and yes, if something does happen, I expect you to leave me behind no matter the circumstances."

"Now you're being hysterical, what sense does it make to leave you behind?" Kakashi shook his head as he bent down to pick up the seal. He checked to make sure the seal was intact before he handed it to Iruka.

"Look, just run and use this seal to summon them when needed. They'll protect you if something bad happens."

"Who are they?"

"My, uh, friends, yeah friends. You should rest; you look tired."

"It's your turn for the bed; I'll take the futon."

Kakashi smirked, "We could always share." He purposefully didn't dodge the pillow thrown his way. He laughed, though if he were honest, he was slightly disappointed. Sure, he had said it jokingly, but he had been serious. Iruka rummaged through the snack bag, finding the package he was looking for empty.

"My strawberry mochi!"

Chapter 11

Iruka's heart was almost about to pound out of his chest as he handed his forged mission scroll to the gatekeeper. He had left a shadow clone behind with Kakashi while he was ordered to flee the scene of the duel. Iruka nervously waited as the gatekeeper examined the scroll with disinterest before signing the paper of who was leaving the village on a mission. The gatekeeper was different from the duo they met when they arrived a few days ago. Iruka swiftly caught the scroll as it was tossed to him before he turned to leave. He had taken the form of a random Chunin he had met at the rally where Kakashi had fought Kato. Iruka had also stolen a dark-colored cloak from a store, which he immediately regretted, but it was either war or a stolen cloak. Iruka slowly pocketed the scroll and ambled out the gates, slow and steady, not to alert the gatekeeper.

Once out of sight, Iruka dropped the disguise and ran for the trees, he had to get as far as he could. Kakashi had left the message to make a shadow clone and leave the village while everyone was distracted by the fight. Iruka felt uncomfortable leaving his partner behind, especially in such dangerous circumstances. However, the urgency of the message from someone like Kakashi made his feet move away from the fight. He looked at the orange-colored sky where the sun was about to set. Now, he was alone in enemy territory, at night, with none of the supplies he brought, which he unfortunately had to abandon. Iruka gasped as he absorbed the information from his shadow clone about the fight and what Kakashi had told him.

"Tonight, they are going to attempt to assassinate me and possibly keep you alive for a very different reason than information. Do not take a passenger boat; take a fishing boat to escape the island. Make sure no one knows you're a leaf ninja at all costs, report to the Third Hokage as soon as possible, and I will follow shortly behind."

Kakashi had whispered the message hurriedly before he dismissed the clone. Iruka slowly made his way through the treacherous mist that hadn't been as prevalent when they first arrived. The Land of Water had a mainland surrounded by several sub-islands and water that stretched for miles. He gradually navigated his way through the shrouding mist to the harbor they had arrived at once before, only they had run across the water the first time. The Mist Nin would expect that, and most likely not bother to check around the harbor until later. Iruka put his forehead protector in his weapons pouch beneath his cloak and let his hair down before he covered his head with the hood of the cloak.

Iruka inspected the boats at the dock carefully. Thankfully, he always had the habit of making sure he always had a small emergency money bag in his weapons pouch for these types of situations. Finally, he decided on the boat with the frail-looking man. Iruka cautiously stepped into the small boat before clearing his throat to falsely lower his voice. The old man eyed the money pouch in his hands but said nothing.

"To the border," he said with a hoarseness that didn't suit him. Iruka tossed the money bag full of coins at the old man before he sat down. The old man simply nodded and untied the rope harboring the boat to the dock. Before long, the motor started up slowly, and Iruka was watching the island disappear behind them in the mist. There was an uncomfortable, but not unappreciated, silence for about two hours as they slowly crossed the sea.

 As soon as they landed on the shore, Iruka swiftly punched the old man in the stomach to knock him out for his safety. He would be killed if the Mist Nin found him responsible for the escape of the enemy willingly. Iruka picked up the money bag and put it back in his weapons pouch before he tied the old man's hands behind his back. The guilt left a sour taste in his mouth as he turned his back on the scene. Luckily, they hadn't exactly stopped at the Harbor for everyone to see, but seemingly at the Old Man's own little version of a dock several miles away. Iruka ran into the trees, he was at least thirty miles away from the border of the Land of Fire, and then he would be safe, hopefully.

…

Kakashi sat with his back against the wall, watching his clone of Iruka sleep, snoring softly every so often. He nonchalantly put his hands behind his head in the most vulnerable stance he could think of and closed his eyes, waiting. Razor-edged swords pierced his chest from the front and from behind, the skin easily giving passage to the sharpened steel. Static filled the air. The assassins screamed as they were electrocuted at the same time.

Kakashi disappeared into the mist as he finished observing the scene from his place on the roof of the building opposite the mansion. He had not heard any commotion about Iruka during the fight except for the actions of the clone, which meant he had successfully managed to leave the village earlier. If he had to guess, Iruka would probably be arriving at the island bordering the Land of Fire. Kakashi took a soldier pill and lightly ran on the rooftops of the buildings and houses to his planned escape route.

 Unlike Iruka, Kakashi would not be able to simply leave through the front door. Hidden in the mist, Kakashi jumped over the wall of the gate on the east side. He had already planted tracks that headed for the west side, however, there was no doubt in his mind that some of the mist ninjas wouldn't be tricked by such a trap. Kakashi looked around, finding no one in sight. Everything around the village had been quiet for some time, too quiet.

There was no genjutsu, no traps, nothing. It was almost too easy to escape, and that just didn't sit well with Kakashi. A top-tier village full of nothing except formidable ninjas would never be so careless. Kakashi had barely been able to dodge the ambush of paper bombs as soon as he landed. A kunai lodged itself in Iruka's thick backpack that Kakashi had brought along.

Kakashi swiftly used the kunai to incapacitate his attacker as the knife lodged itself deep into the enemy's foot. He dropped the mist ninja disguise and ran as fast as he could towards the trees. The mist had become so devastatingly thick that Kakashi almost wondered if he would have even had a chance of survival without the Sharingan. If this kept up, there would be a deadly war between the Mist and Leaf Villages yet again. Kakashi's eye widened, shit, Iruka had most likely been followed the entire time. His legs carried him faster than they had ever before as he uncovered his other eye before he put his hands together to use a jutsu he hadn't used in years.

…

Iruka was mentally prepared for the moment he was attacked. He had noticed their presence behind him as soon as he left the shore. There were only two followers, as far as he could tell. They were jounin in rank, if their chakra level was anything to judge by. Iruka hastened his pace slightly, though not to the extent that it would alert the others that he was aware of their presence. The chunin cautiously set up as many traps as he could before he ran out of materials in his weapons pouch.

He had hoped that at least one of them would work, and that is exactly what happened. Iruka changed direction quickly as an explosion occurred behind him. The chunin just barely made it out of the range of the explosion. Iruka had underestimated the strength of his trap. He carefully hid behind a tree and glanced over his left shoulder to see if his attackers had perished.

"I'm impressed." Iruka tensed as soon as he saw the two ninjas in front of him.  Fuck, they deliberately set off the trap. Iruka mentally counted his weapons: four shuriken, six kunai, and the summoning paper Kakashi had left him, along with the message in the bag from the grocery store. He got into a defensive stance as he gauged his opponent's strength. They were arrogant, not worried at all about the enemy they faced. One of the unknown mist ninjas stepped forward, triggering a trip wire that sent a barrage of kunai from behind.

The other jounin managed to catch the trap in time to escape with minimal injuries, while the other hadn't fared so well and received the full force of a barrage of kunai. Even if he were alive, his injuries were too severe for him to be of any help to the other jounin. Iruka jumped from the tree as the other mist ninja laughed sinisterly behind him. He hastily unfastened the cloak he had stolen, attached a paper bomb to the inside, and hurled it at the enemy. It was no surprise the jounin had easily dodged, but it had at least been worth a try. Iruka mainly specialized in defensive jutsu, such as barriers and sealing jutsu. Unlike Kakashi, he wasn't the master of a thousand jutsu that could help him take on any ninja he could think of.

The jounin threw several kunai at Iruka, which forced him from the trees to the ground, clearly growing more and more irritated with the cat and mouse game they were playing. He put his hands together for an unknown binding jutsu that Iruka stepped right in the middle of. Iruka mentally cursed himself as his feet were bound to the ground by rocks due to some sort of earth jutsu. There was no way he could afford to remain trapped any longer than he already was. All his barrier jutsu took time that he didn't have. In desperation, he attacked the rock with his kunai in hopes of loosening the binds enough so that he could escape.

"Try all you want, you'll never escape." Iruka prepared himself for whatever attack was about to happen. Fortunately for Iruka, the mist jounin seemed like the typical kind of guy who seemed to drone on and on about how powerful and almighty he was and all that gibberish. He felt ashamed that he would have to rely on Kakashi again so soon. However, at this point, he was out of options. Iruka silently retrieved the summoning paper he had almost mistaken for a paper bomb previously. He slashed his hand behind his back before he put his hands together, hoping to whatever gods were out there that this would work even if he wasn't Kakashi.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Iruka's eyes widened as eight dogs appeared and tore his enemy apart in mere seconds. Once it was very, very, obvious the enemy jounin had been taken care of, the pack turned towards Iruka, who had been too stunned to even free himself. Hound's pack of ninken had easily taken out the enemy he had been having trouble with, in the blink of an eye. He managed to shake himself from his stupor before he lost too much time gawking. The chunin attacked the rocks binding his feet repeatedly with such force that they eventually cracked. Iruka's mind was briefly swimming in confusion about the entire situation before he quickly filed such thoughts away for later, when they were all safe. Pakkun simply looked at him lazily from his resting place on top of Bull, "Well, are you gonna get a move on or what? Time is of the essence here, you know."

"Yes, it is! This way!" Iruka was so close to getting back onto Leaf Village territory, and now with a pack of eight ridiculously fearsome ninken, he was guarded at every angle. He made a note to never doubt a single one of Kakashi's abilities ever again. Pakkun sniffed the air curiously, picking up on another scent before relaxing his head again down on Iruka's shoulders. Soon after they started moving, Pakkun seemingly decided the best place to be was resting on Iruka's shoulders. Iruka didn't mind the small dog, though it was a little weird to hear him murmuring about the softness of his paws. Whatever it was that he had picked up on, he didn't seem to mind, but Iruka was curious.

"What was it? A rabbit?"

Pakkun scoffed, "Pfft, I'm not some uncivilized mutt. No, I just sensed the brat a little way behind us. He'll be here soon." Iruka nodded, he had so many questions swarming around in his head about what everything meant. He was also physically exhausted by everything that happened, he struggled to keep up with the harsh pace the ninken set.

Iruka was almost out of the danger zone for now, and from what Pakkun mentioned, Kakashi seemed to be not far behind by some miracle. Kakashi appeared before them in a puff of smoke, and Pakkun just huffed, "Show off," under his breath. The chunin was beyond impressed, especially because he had several hours of a head start and somehow Kakashi still managed to get ahead. Kakashi grabbed his hand, and then they were both miles further than they had been before. The silver-haired jounin continued to transport them until they were within several miles of the village. Finally, they were fully out of any imminent danger, where they could rest for a short while without having to worry about death.

As they entered the Leaf Village, Iruka began to think as he lagged slightly behind the famous jounin. He took in everything that Kakashi Hatake was, and everything Hound was, his mind still reeling as he tried to connect them. The chunin couldn't manage to fit the puzzle pieces together in time before Kakashi moved ahead again without a word. He sighed and guessed they would talk later after they finished settling everything with the Village Hidden in the Mist. They arrived at the gates very early in the morning, only several hours before the sun came up. Iruka slouched over, touching his knees as he caught his breath. Kakashi yawned lazily and turned to Iruka leisurely, "I suggest we report what happened, now." Iruka could only nod as he gazed at the masked man and finally accepted that Hound and Kakashi were the same person.

"Do you have multiple personalities?" Iruka blurted out before he could stop himself. Kakashi's eye widened a fraction in surprise before he slowly smiled underneath his mask. Iruka was unnerved by that smile that didn't reach his eyes, it made it seem like it would be the last time they would ever see each other. Kakashi's arm pulsed with a throbbing sensation, and he frowned briefly before smiling that fake smile again, "Ah, forgive me, Iruka-sensei, it seems like I'll have to leave the report to you this time," Kakashi poofed away leaving Iruka behind.

Just like that, he was gone, as he disappeared into thin air in front of Iruka's very eyes. The poor chunin didn't know how to feel. He had grown quite fond of the masked ANBU, and if he was quite honest, even Kakashi. His brows furrowed, did he like Kakashi, like that? Iruka blushed as he pictured them together, and he found that he wasn't as averse to it as any normal man would be. Iruka mentally berated himself, to have a crush on a man at his age was just so pointless, and yet he couldn't deny that the feelings were there.

Iruka filed all thoughts of Kakashi, for later, he had to rush to inform the Hokage of what had happened with the Mist village. Iruka rushed as quickly as he could to the mission's office, where he had a feeling the Hokage would already be. As exhausted as he was, he made incredible time considering the soreness of his muscles from all the running he had done over the past several days. Iruka paused to catch his breath before he politely knocked on the door, though this time he did not wait for someone to respond. As soon as he opened the doors, "Lord Hokage, there's troubl-," his eyes widened as he came face to face with not only the Hokage but presumably all the ANBU members of the Leaf Village. The Third Hokage let out a puff of smoke as Hound turned to face Iruka, along with all of the other ANBU members.

"Yes, I am well aware of the situation, Iruka-sensei. Kakashi made sure to send a clone to inform us of everything that happened. I met with the Emperor of the Mist this evening to make sure there would be no war. On the condition that there would be no consequences if either of you hadn't made it out of the village alive and that we wouldn't be held responsible if either of you took out any mist nin in self-defense." The Third Hokage let out another puff of smoke as he smiled at Iruka, who immediately relaxed.

 There wasn't going to be a war because of him. The relief was so immense that his knees buckled, and suddenly he was on the ground. Iruka blushed so hard that his entire body turned five different shades of red. He mentally cursed himself and his physical exhaustion. How could he make himself look like a fool in front of the most respected people in the village? Iruka laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, hair still messy from all the fighting and running, "I guess I'm a little burned out." The chunin stood up quickly, but all eyes remained on him. Iruka gulped as he grew more nervous at the low whispers he heard around the room. He smiled sheepishly, hoping to break the ice with the Leaf Village's elite ninjas.

The ANBU encircled him so fast he barely had time to register what was happening before he was being touched all over and petted like an animal. His mind hardly registered the fact that the ANBU were swarming around him like a celebrity. Iruka blinked in confusion several times as hands touched him everywhere, and he blushed crimson, not knowing what to do in a situation like this. He heard them whispering the word angel again, and his eyebrows furrowed. What the hell was going on? The chunin yelped as he was abruptly yanked back by his vest into what felt like a brick wall. The ANBU still surrounded him but ceased touching him. Iruka relaxed a little when he saw that Hound was his savior from the horde of masked ninjas. Hound was tense as he held a kunai defensively in order to protect Iruka from the swarm of obsessed ANBU.

"What in the hell is going on?" Iruka stood his ground and crossed his arms, "You can't just suddenly touch people like that without their permission! It's rude! Most people have set boundaries because of insecurities, and to simply disregard such a thing is wildly inappropriate!" Iruka fumed as he scolded the group of masked ninjas much like he would his class of pre-genin. The murmuring began again, and the group of ninjas seemed to get more excited as they edged slightly closer, but not close enough to be within Hound's range.

The Third Hokage chuckled, "Now, now, Iruka-sensei, they didn't mean to offend." Iruka's eye twitched, "Would someone please explain what that was all about?" Hound sighed from behind Iruka, but he continued to remain vigilant in front of the masked group.

"I suppose it's my fault. On the day you saved me, I didn't know your name and referred to you as a tenderhearted angel. Word got around about you, and the nickname stuck. A little while later, you were being targeted by an enemy ninja, from the mist, might I add. I couldn't always be there to watch and protect you. So, I figured that it wouldn't do much harm to let them observe your daily life and protect you while I was gone. However, they started testing you to see how you would react, and depending on those reactions, they would either lose interest or not." Hound sighed as he scratched the back of his head in guilt. "Well, they definitely never lost interest in you, that much is obvious." Iruka rolled his eyes at that.

"So, basically, I've been stalked by the most elite ninja this village has to offer for the past several weeks?" Hound tensed behind him, but nodded slowly. Iruka rubbed his hand over his face, he was way past the point of exhaustion to have to deal with such a thing.

"Stalking is not good. If you wanted to meet me, I would have made tea," he said exasperatedly. The murmuring around them increased as a new level of excitement started to rise. The Third Hokage chuckled, "I can see that you are very physically exhausted from your mission, Iruka-sensei." Iruka could do nothing more than nod tiredly at that. The old man let out a puff of smoke, "Everything is all right now, Iruka-sensei, I will have the ANBU scouting the village this evening in the event that the Mist Village does not adhere to their word. Your written report can be turned in tomorrow, so you may go home now. Hound, would you be so kind as to take Iruka-sensei home?" Hound nodded from behind Iruka and slowly guided him out of the room of ANBU. Once they were in the clear, Hound lowered his weapon. Iruka yawned loudly before slowly turning to Hound, "You have a lot explaining to do, Kakashi."

Chapter 12

Iruka yawned loudly before slowly turning to Hound, "You have a lot of explaining to do, Kakashi."

Kakashi tensed at the sound of his name whilst he was in his ANBU persona. Normally, if an ANBU's identity was found out, they would quickly perform a mind erasing jutsu on said person. However, the Third Hokage had not ordered it to be done on Iruka. He scratched the back of his head nervously. Now that it was all out in the open, it did seem pretty bad that Iruka-sensei had been stalked by the majority of the ANBU team regularly. Iruka turned to face him, ready to scold him, before he blinked slowly, and his body suddenly collapsed.

Hound caught Iruka’s limp body easily before it hit the ground and sighed as Iruka lay limp in his arms, the dirt and grime evident on his body from his running. Kakashi held him close before he maneuvered the brunette’s body and carried him bridal style. He surveyed his surroundings before he found the only one who had such a mastery of genjutsu. There was only one person who would use genjutsu on a comrade. Raven was sitting on a tree limb across the street. Hound sighed, "Why would you use genjutsu on him?"

"To let him sleep." Raven was always a stoic character; it was hard to tell what his intentions were most of the time, typical Uchiha. "Do not worry, Hound, he is dreaming his deepest desires." Raven looked down from the tree before he swiftly vanished from sight. Kakashi shook his head exasperatedly, he hoped Iruka didn't think it was him who knocked him out. He gently adjusted Iruka in his arms and carried him the rest of the way to his house. He glanced down, and Iruka was sound asleep with a pleasant look on his face.

 Kakashi briefly wondered what Iruka was dreaming of that could make him look so peaceful. When he arrived back at the teacher's home, Iruka would probably be displeased by his breaking and entering into his home again, but he didn't have much choice. Much of Iruka's stuff had been misplaced in the confusion, and he wasn't sure where the chunin would keep the key to his home anyway. Kakashi easily picked the lock to the front door and disabled all of the traps Iruka had left. He made a note to set some traps himself before he left, ones that were a little less predictable than Iruka's.

Iruka shifted slightly in his arms, and Kakashi cursed himself briefly for not disabling the traps fluidly enough for Iruka not to wake up. However, the gods were on his side as Iruka only nuzzled further into his chest. Kakashi stilled, his heart racing; he had never been in this situation before. To be more exact, he had never cared enough about the person he was carrying to even bother being gentle before. He had helped many other wounded ANBU back to their homes from time to time, but he had never taken such precautions with them.

Kakashi made his way through the home and down the hallway to Iruka's room. His chest felt tight, and his heart was racing. Everywhere Iruka touched him, it felt as if it were on fire compared to the rest of his body. Kakashi's hands felt clammy, and his stomach churned with butterflies. Suddenly, he was worried he'd been wounded worse than he previously thought.

 He hastily made his way to the room because he wasn't sure what was happening, but he needed it to stop. Kakashi carefully placed Iruka down on the bed before slowly taking off the other's shoes to make him sleep a little more comfortably, before he quickly covered him with one of the blankets to keep him warm. He paused to take a moment to look at Iruka's contented face whilst he slept. Kakashi gulped before he hurried out of the room and put his hand over his chest. His heartbeat was racing to an abnormal level, and his face was suddenly flushed due to simply looking at Iruka's sleeping face.

Kakashi was panicking at this point over what was wrong with him, he couldn't recall taking a hit to the chest that could cause delayed chest pains. He schooled his features, even though no one could see behind his mask, he didn't want to give anyone opportunities to use it against him because he couldn't control his behavior. Kakashi quickly assembled some traps in place of the ones he had disabled. It didn't matter much anyway because several eyes were watching his every movement. Iruka needed to get curtains.

The silver-haired jounin continued hastily making his way out of the home and stopped to take a breath of fresh air after he closed the door behind him. Kakashi ran a hand through his hair in stress over the appearance of such symptoms so suddenly and briefly wondered if they merited a trip to the hospital or not. As he calmed himself outside, he quickly used a teleportation jutsu to his own home. Once in the safety of his own home, Kakashi took off his ANBU mask and carelessly chucked it onto the couch in the living room. He sighed, he wasn't sure what exactly had happened to him back there, but the symptoms had disappeared after he had time to steady himself.

 Kakashi habitually took out his favorite Icha Icha romance novel and gazed slowly at the cover. He dropped it as if he had been burned after realization slowly dawned on him over what exactly was happening to him. Kakashi had read it himself many times, but never once had he ever felt the emotions described in his favorite book series. He was feeling, for one of the first times in his life. It had been so long he'd forgotten what it meant to feel something for another person.

He covered his lower face with his hand as a blush spread slowly across his masked face. If he were honest, he was feeling more than simple friendship for the chunin. Kakashi sighed as he sat down on the couch and quickly schooled his emotions. Nothing good would come out of him falling for Iruka-sensei like he was. He closed his eyes as he let his tired muscles relax, and he let his body fall perpendicularly on the couch, knocking the ANBU mask to the floor. For the first time in a long while, sleep claimed his consciousness before he could stop it.

….

Iruka woke slowly and wiped the sleep away from his tired eyes. He looked around, not quite sure how he got home last night. The last thing he remembered was talking to Kakashi before everything went blank, as his exhaustion took hold of his body. Iruka blushed as he realized he had fainted in front of one of the most esteemed ANBU in the village. His mortification was worsened by the fact that said ANBU had carried him to his house, even while he was in his weakened state after the same mission.

 Kakashi had done so much more whilst on their last mission, and yet he had still fainted before the other. Iruka angrily threw the blanket off himself because he had embarrassed himself in front of the other once more. He looked outside the window and sighed as he looked towards the trees, where the ANBU who had probably watched him while he slept concealed themselves. Iruka stood up; the least he could do was make them tea if they were so fascinated by his dull life. He made his way to the kitchen and put a pot on the stove to boil.

 Iruka felt terrible, Kakashi had probably used up almost all of his chakra reserves trying to protect him just so they could get back to the village. Then he became a burden once more by fainting on the poor man whilst in the middle of talking to him. Iruka made some simple cucumber sandwiches to go with the tea, because if the other ANBU were anything like Hound that meant they didn't eat much. He only hoped he'd made enough. Iruka opened the window and set the finished tray of tea and sandwiches on the windowsill. It still felt like he was being watched, so he probably was.

Iruka wondered if they could even somehow see him when he showered. He blushed; that would be a major invasion of his privacy, even that would be too far! Iruka closed the door to his bathroom. Luckily, it had no windows, but he wouldn't put it past them to have some sort of jutsu up their sleeves. Iruka cringed, he had been too distracted by the ANBU to notice he had made a mess in his pants whilst he slept.

The dream had been like a slap to the face, it had been about the masked ANBU. Iruka shook his head quickly, trying to wipe that thought away, but it remained ingrained in his brain. He had had a wet dream about Kakashi, a dream where Kakashi had touched him in ways he never thought could arouse him. Iruka sighed, trying to make sense of the situation. He was definitely attracted to the other, but that could be in a number of different ways! The ANBU had a certain charisma about himself that Iruka respected.

 So, his blatant respect for the sheer power and charisma of the other led to it being misinterpreted in his dream as him being sexually attracted to the silver-haired jounin. Iruka nodded to himself, that seemed like a plausible explanation. Coupled with the fact that he had been too nervous to take care of himself before the mission, it had also been a while. Which is how such a dream could occur. Another scarlet blush made its way across his scarred face. It still didn't change the fact that he hadn’t been too opposed to all of the things that had happened in his dream.

Iruka shook his head, he wasn't going to go down that route this morning. Firstly, he needed to shower and get all of the gunk and grime off his body. Secondly, he still had a job to do even if he now knew the ANBU's true identity. Regardless of his dream, he still needed to make sure Kakashi was okay. Kakashi had a bad habit of letting things go until he absolutely couldn't carry on. He wouldn't tend to his wounds or eat if Iruka wasn't there to help him. Iruka turned on the water in his shower and let the water heat up to a comfortable temperature. Now, he just needed to figure out how exactly he should act when he went to see Kakashi later.

Chapter 13

Notes:

Thank you for all of your lovely reviews. They definitely stroke my ego and encourage me to continue writing. As always I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

Iruka stepped out of the shower, his brown hair cascading down his shoulders. He quickly wrapped a soft towel around his waist and exited the steamy bathroom. Iruka had hoped that after some contemplation in the shower, he would figure out how he wanted to face the other after passing out on him. He had been so exhausted he didn't even remember fainting, and then he had that kind of dream so suddenly afterward. Iruka made his way to the room and almost dropped his towel at the sight of the elite masked ninjas inside his home. Thankfully, Iruka managed to keep his grip on the towel even though it was considerably lower than before.

"W-what are you doing here? You can't just startle someone like that!" Iruka scolded indignantly. He was further bewildered when the masked ninja suddenly knelt before him, much like they did with the Third Hokage.

"Pardon our manners, Umino-san, we've been sent by the Third Hokage to request your presence in a briefing of your latest mission." Iruka moved his tangled, wet hair from out of his face, "I'm sorry I yelled. I was just startled, I'm not used to ANBU just showing up inside my home." Iruka gave them a sheepish smile, "Um, just give me a minute to get dressed, there's tea on the veranda, I don't know if you guys noticed before you came in." After the ANBU quickly excused themselves, Iruka closed the door behind him, blushing brightly.

 Iruka could only hope they hadn't seen anything before he caught the towel. Iruka towel-dried his hair as he quickly took out a clean set of clothes from his closet. He dressed quickly because frankly, he didn't know who was watching, but he made sure to keep all privates out of view of the window. The brunette grabbed the brush from the drawer on his nightstand and pulled his hair back into his typical high ponytail. Iruka put on his shoes that lay neatly at the end of the bed. He groaned at how polite Kakashi had been while he was passed out.

When he exited his room, he made his way down the hallway to the living room where the dispatched ANBU were quietly sitting on his small couch, with one standing and looking at the wall of pictures his students gave him. The tray of tea and sandwiches had been brought back inside and was empty by the looks of it. The window had been closed, and he figured that had been their point of entry. Iruka smiled at the curious ANBU.

"Oh, those were given to me by my students! Quite the little artists, aren't they?" The ANBU nodded slowly, "We must go now, Umino-san." He walked towards Iruka and grabbed his arm. Iruka tensed at the touch, and then suddenly he was in front of the Hokage, and the touch was gone as soon as it had come. He made a note to add a question about the transportation jutsu to his tests when they covered the chapter about the ANBU and their role.

It seemed like a slightly biased question, but from his experience, the ANBU's favorite jutsu was the teleportation jutsu, even though the jutsu itself was incredibly hard to master. Hound stood coolly in the middle of the room in front of the Hokage, and the previous ANBU from before disappeared without a trace. The Third Hokage took a long drag from his pipe as he looked at the two in front of him. He exhaled a cloud of smoke, "I wanted you to be here to let you know as I render this decision." The Third Hokage took another drag from his pipe, smoke clouding the room as he spoke once again.

"I want to let it be known that as of this moment from here forward, Kakashi Hatake codenamed Hound is no longer a part of the ANBU." Hound quietly removed the mask from his face as he looked at the ground. Iruka's mouth fell open, and he knelt into seiza bow almost immediately, "Lord Hokage, I beg of you to reconsider! If this is because of our last mission, then I must take all of the blame for what happened! Kakashi did everything perfectly and managed to create a distraction to provide ample opportunity for me to escape from such a hostile situation! I beg you to reconsider!"

The Hokage held his hand up to silence Iruka's pleas as he inhaled from his pipe again. He exhaled slowly, "Unfortunately, after long hours of preponderance over this issue, I have come to the same decision as the Head of the ANBU, who specifically requested that Kakashi retire." Kakashi clenched his hands into fists at his side but said nothing. Iruka felt as if he'd been doused in cold water, and he imagined that the news for Kakashi was much worse. Iruka continued to look up at the Third Hokage pleadingly.

 The Hokage smiled at the two, "I've thought about this long and hard, Iruka-sensei, and I know that this is the best road for Kakashi-san. Even though his skills will be dearly missed as an ANBU. I want to let it be known that his talents will not be wasted and that they will be used to teach the next generation of ninja as their jounin squad leader." The Third Hokage looked pleased with his explanation as he took in the faces of the two in front of him. Iruka's was blatant shock, Kakashi Hatake, teaching? Kakashi kept his features as stoic as always, though he did let out a small sigh in annoyance. The Third Hokage stood up from his chair and waved them off before he exited the room, "That is all, you two are dismissed.” Iruka stood up and dusted his pants off after being on the floor, he bit his lip nervously.

 "Would you like to get ramen with me?" Iruka blurted before he mentally berated himself. Why would the ex-ANBU want ramen of all things after such news? Kakashi chuckled softly, his one eye creating a downward crescent to show he was smiling beneath the elusive mask he always wore. Iruka gulped as he nervously awaited the final reply of the other.

"Did you just ask me on a date, Iruka-sensei~?" Iruka's jaw dropped, and a bright blush spread across his face, "N-no! Well, kind of, but not like that! I wanted to treat you to lunch as thanks for yesterday." Iruka smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head nervously, "I kind of burdened you yesterday when I fainted, and you were kind enough to carry me home, even with all of your injuries."

"I think you would have been a bit surprised if you had woken up in my bed, Iruka-sensei~." Iruka turned a different shade of tomato as he remembered the dream he had had the night before, and the mess it made. His mortification would have been ten times worse if he had been left to borrow Kakashi's clothes after he dirtied himself. Iruka covered his mouth with his hand and turned to look down at the ground in a failed attempt to cover his blush. He had been extremely lucky that the ex-ANBU had decided to break into his house.

"Ah, yes, thank you very much for taking me home last night, Kakashi-san," Iruka said softly. Kakashi raised a questioning brow. Iruka was suddenly acting strangely compared to before. He frowned, he had a feeling it had something to do with the genjutsu, Raven had put him in the night before. Now, Iruka was acting as if it hurt to even look at him, and he was blushing worse than before from the joke he had made. "Do not worry, Hound, he is dreaming his deepest desires." 

Kakashi didn't know what to make of that and Iruka's current behavior. Had Iruka killed him in his dream? He was haunted by nightmares of slaughtering the people he had been told to for his mission. But he had an inkling, it wouldn't be something of a violent nature like his was. Iruka looked up shyly as he lowered his hand, "Let's just go get ramen, my treat, of course." All Kakashi could do was nod and follow the other. It was surreal, without his mask to hide his emotions behind, he rarely ever walked around the village as himself.

Kakashi looked at the leaves on the trees as they walked in silence toward the best ramen in town. Perhaps, they had not thrown him aside like a used tool, but instead, they polished him and set him on the sidelines so he would not break. A squad leader, isn't that what Guy was always rambling on and on about, and his precious students? He sighed; his future didn't look bright currently. Kakashi wasn't exactly a people person, and he wasn’t particularly fond of young genin.

"So, squad leader, huh? That's exciting, that means you'll most likely have some of the kids I've taught in your squad sometime in the future. I'll have to tell them about some of the legendary people who became squad leaders." Iruka smiled brightly as he continued chatting almost one-sidedly with a few interjections that Kakashi supplied. Finally, they arrived at the ramen shop and quickly ordered some ramen.

"I was surprised, to say the least, by Lord Hokage's proclamation earlier. How long have you been an ANBU?" Kakashi pondered that question for a moment. Normally, an ANBU couldn't disclose information about themselves, but then again, he wasn't exactly an ANBU anymore. Kakashi’s eye widened in realization over what exactly the Head and Lord Hokage had planned, those sly old men. He quickly schooled his features before Iruka caught on to what exactly their intent in retiring him was.

"I've been an ANBU since probably about the age of those genin’s you're teaching are now." Iruka turned to look at the man in awe before he dropped his chopsticks, seeing the man unmasked for the first time. A long scar went down the right side of his face, even though most of it was covered by the headband that still covered his other eye. Kakashi had a small mole on his chin, and a chiseled jawline that he could see with the mask on, but there was something different about seeing him without the mask. Iruka's mouth gaped as Kakashi was probably the most handsomely dangerous man he had ever laid eyes on.

Iruka gulped, now understanding why the other chose to keep his face hidden most of the time. Frankly, he would be a major distraction to the other female ninja if he walked around town looking the way he did. Things could get dangerous as the other female ninja fought over the silver-haired jounin. Kakashi chuckled, "I've never had that kind of reaction before. I guess we kind of match," he said as he pointed towards his facial scar. Iruka blushed at the jounin’s sultry smile, shit.

Iruka quickly turned away; he had not meant to invade the other's privacy in such a way. Then he even unintentionally gawked at the man for a good while. He bit his lip, "Forgive me for my rude behavior, I had not meant to stare. Y-you're just very handsome to be fair, is that why you cover your face?" Kakashi shrugged, "I've always covered my face, ever since I was a child."

Iruka nodded as he picked up his fallen chopsticks and began vehemently slurping his ramen down much like Naruto would. There was no way a man like that would ever fall for someone like him now. Wait, why did he want Kakashi to fall for him? Let alone a legend of a man like that? Oh, Iruka was suddenly so confused, because as soon as he had seen the other man's face, his heart had started racing almost painfully inside his chest. Iruka’s face warmed as he had a feeling it had something more to do with Kakashi rather than the steam from the ramen.

Chapter 14

If Kakashi was perfectly honest with himself, his retirement from the ANBU came more as a relief than a disappointment. Even though he had been shocked that the Third Hokage himself chose to retire one of his best ANBU ninjas. Kakashi would have continued as an ANBU until he had been decommissioned. He never really had time to focus on himself because there was no point in emotions as an ANBU. That was the real reason he had been retired, because he had started to feel emotions again, and perceptive old men like the Third Hokage could tell. Kakashi could not help the sigh that escaped his lips as he blankly stared at the bowl of ramen before him.

Iruka, beside him, began to fret internally and wondered if perhaps it had been a mistake to take the man to a ramen booth. Naturally, a man of Kakashi's rank could afford to eat better than the ramen Iruka could barely afford. Iruka thought back to the barren apartment Hound had and quickly thought otherwise. Ramen was better than what he had at home, if he had anything at all. Iruka frowned, it must be because of the news they received earlier. Of course, Kakashi would be bothered, he had been suddenly retired from the most prestigious ninja organization in the Hidden Leaf because Iruka got too involved and found out one of the village's top secrets, Hound's identity.

"Don't fret, Iruka-sensei." Kakashi smiled softly at Iruka, unmasked, and Iruka's face turned a brilliant shade of tomato red. Kakashi chuckled, Iruka was so expressive that it was like watching a movie all at once. Iruka quickly turned away and began vigorously slurping his ramen down. He had to get some fresh air soon and fast. Iruka would not be able to survive sitting next to such a devastatingly handsome man who gave him his first genuine smile, unmasked. Iruka glanced up at the waitress to see her absolutely smitten and practically drooling behind the counter. Honestly, he could not blame her, if he had any less scruples, he would probably do the same.

Instead, he could only look away so the masked man could eat in privacy and save his heart from the continuous fluttering that was happening by simply looking at Kakashi's face. Kakashi glanced his way secretly, Iruka looked quite cute with a tomato-red face. They continued eating in awkward silence, perhaps due to the awkward tension in the air, neither dared to converse with the other. Iruka was nervous around Kakashi, a little too nervous to simply be out of respect for the powerful ninja. Kakashi found that he quite liked making Iruka nervous or feeling any sort of way about him for that fact. Kakashi pulled up his mask; he had felt comfortable around Iruka to expose his true face, but it backfired on him as it only made Iruka more uncomfortable around him.

"Maa~ Iruka-chan, if you keep acting this way, I will think you have a crush on me." Kakashi smiled devilishly under his mask to tease Iruka, even though he knew that that possibility was extremely far from reality. Iruka choked, yes, he choked on his ramen. Iruka coughed violently, turning an even more brilliant shade of red, "K-Kakashi-san! P-please don't surprise me like that! O-of course not!"

Kakashi chuckled in amusement at the many faces of the man before he forced himself to conceal the sting of rejection, "Forgive me, Iruka-chan. I could not help myself." Iruka huffed as his face slowly faded into a pinkish hue, "I think I am done eating now, I'm afraid I must get back to grading the work from when I was gone." Iruka smiled at the masked man, "Thank you again for your kindness in assisting me home last night. I am ashamed to say I do not have your level of endurance as a simple schoolteacher." Kakashi's eye widened a bit, before curving into a soft smile, "Maa~anything for a comrade."

Kakashi decided it would be better never to tell Iruka-sensei that he had only fallen out because of a genjutsu. Iruka nodded before exiting the ramen stall after paying for their meals. He felt bad leaving first when he was the one who had invited Kakashi-san in the first place, but he was beginning to lose his composure around the other man. Iruka ruffled his hair as he instinctively walked towards his home, "Shit." Did Kakashi notice that Iruka had begun to look at him in a different light? Or had he been simply teasing him just because he knew how to ruffle his feathers?

 No, Kakashi had to be joking; he only considered Iruka as a comrade in arms, and he said so himself. Still, he was so close to the truth, and Iruka was not sure if his heart could last. It would be better to distance himself from the silver-haired jounin for a while and force himself to get over this ridiculous crush of his. Yes, that is all it was, a crush. Iruka was sure he could overcome this, so he and Kakashi could remain friends, or whatever they were.

Kakashi watched silently as Iruka briskly walked away from the ramen stall and ran a hand through his silver hair in frustration. He had effectively managed to make Iruka-sensei uncomfortable enough to leave abruptly like that. Kakashi had not meant to offend Iruka with his teasing, he had truly hoped that it would be true. Iruka's vehement denial and surprise at the comment meant he crossed a line that should never have been crossed. He sighed once more, finding that he longed for the other's presence even more now that he had gone.

Kakashi stood up and gave a quick thanks to Teuchi-san before he left the ramen stall to get a breath of fresh air. Kakashi glanced at the path Iruka had taken home. It wouldn't hurt to make sure the chunin had made it home safely, would it? Kakashi's body had seemingly decided as such, as before he had even made up his mind, it began taking him towards the chunin's home. A master of concealment, Kakashi hid himself in the tree that was perfectly positioned directly across the chunin's home. He paused as he found that he had the company of a previous ANBU who had taken the same position. Kakashi’s eye widened in surprise to find the ANBU in his spot, and he glared with his one eye until they got the message to leave.

Luckily, the ANBU were smart enough to take a hint and quickly dispersed elsewhere. Kakashi shook his head in disapproval, this angel thing was beginning to get out of hand. Iruka had become their unofficial mascot, and the ANBU clung to watching him live his menial life. The extra protection was nice, but it was turning into Hokage-level protection, and the chunin had no idea the extent to which he was being watched. Kakashi sighed, he would stop by the store to get Iruka some curtains; it was the only way to curb the ANBU's obsession.

 He frowned, but then he would lose out on his chance to watch the chunin himself like he was currently doing. Kakashi decided to wait on purchasing the curtains, they would have to wait until it got a bit worse. Mentally, he apologized to Iruka for allowing him to be stalked to this extent, but he was just as bad as the other ANBU currently watching Iruka grade mountains of homework. Kakashi settled himself easily on the tree branch and was content watching Iruka for the next several hours until the chunin retired for the evening. Iruka had graded the children’s papers before he retired for the evening.

Kakashi decided it was time to return to his own home, he was sure that Iruka's protection would be phenomenal with his secret guards who watched the premises during the night. They would all do well with personally meeting the teacher, but he knew most preferred to watch in silence and revel in someone genuinely happy with life and the world. It gave them hope that one day they might live such a life or continue their line of work to provide such a life. Iruka enjoyed the little things in life. Kakashi discreetly jumped from the tree and put his hands in his pockets as he coolly walked back to his home.

He had marked the positions of all of the other ANBU and allowed himself to be seen on purpose, to send a message that, ultimately, he found Iruka first, or as a matter of fact, Iruka had found him. Regardless, the message was clear that he was staking his claim, even though Iruka had made it clear that they were to be simply comrades in arms by his rejection. That didn't matter, though. Iruka's presence was calming enough that Kakashi would settle for whatever kind of relationship the other ninja wished. He just wanted to be in his life.  

Iruka awoke the next morning to the sound of his harsh alarm clock and sighed. He had not managed to sleep well at all due to the distinct feeling of being watched since he had arrived back home, and it had followed him in his dreams. Iruka doubted that the Lord Hokage could do anything since he could not even identify his stalkers. He would prefer it if they spoke with him rather than treat him like an exhibit at the zoo; it was getting a bit tiring. Iruka made a mental note to teach his class about the effects of stalking when he taught about the concealment jutsu. He calmed himself down and decided to think of it as protection.

As a ninja, one could rarely let their guard down, and here he was, dismayed at the thought that he could relax a bit more easily. Iruka nodded, yeah, that was the best way to think about his situation. He should enjoy it while it lasts rather than fret. Iruka quickly got dressed and redid his signature hairstyle to get ready for the day. Maybe if he were lucky, he would bump into Kakashi-san today. Iruka blushed, he had it bad. Did he not just tell himself to distance himself, and he was already thinking about him again? He shook his head; whatever happened during his day would surely be fate, and as fate would have it, Kakashi had been waiting outside his door. Kakashi closed his signature book quickly and leaned forward, quickly closing the space between them so fast that Iruka barely blinked.

"Good morning, Iruka-chan~ Do you mind if I walk with you on the way to work? I happened to be in the area." Kakashi smiled slyly as the brunette blushed and could only sputter a mumbled agreement. Iruka tried to focus on the floor, but that would not do, because overnight Kakashi had had a long time to think about life by himself, and he had decided he wanted Iruka. But of course, he would have to take his time, because while he was a master of manipulation, Iruka was the one person he did not want to manipulate. He leaned back as quickly as he had leaned forward and schooled his emotions perfectly into his signature lazy smile, "Shall we go?"

Chapter 15

Iruka awoke and cautiously equipped his kunai from under his pillow. Someone was in his home. He walked slowly towards his living room, readying himself to defend himself from his intruder. It was completely dark in the home due to the outside rain, too dark to see the shadowed figure that stood in his living room. Iruka held the kunai up and quickly launched his attack against the shadowed figure.

Iruka bit his lip as his kunai had been parried by his intruder. The lighting outside the window illuminated the shadowed figure. Hound stood in his living room, katana drawn, as he held it firmly against the kunai that attempted to stab him. Iruka gasped in shock and immediately lowered his weapon, "K-Kakashi!" Hound stood silently, not saying a word, as Iruka invaded his space.

The brunette was confused; had they sent the former ANBU on one last solo mission after all? He inspected the ANBU for any external injuries, casually lifting the white armor to see if Kakashi had been wounded. Hound removed his ANBU mask and looked down at the shorter male. The brunette glanced up at him sheepishly due to his shameful behavior, the ANBU hadn't even asked him to treat his wounds. The ANBU reached out towards Iruka, startling him briefly.

Iruka blinked as he felt his hair cascade over his shoulders as his hair tie was removed. He bit his lip as a firm hand gripped his hair and forced him to look up at the partially masked man. Kakashi uncovered his face, and Iruka avoided his piercing gaze, confused at the sudden development of things. Iruka gasped as the firm hand gripped his hair even tighter, and soft lips were pressed against his. Kakashi slipped his tongue into the brunette's sweet mouth at the moment of his surprise.

Iruka gripped onto the white armor, as shivers went down his spine. Kakashi kissed him fiercely, and he felt his knees going weak on him. Iruka pushed away, gasping for air, as he held onto the lean ANBU for support. The brunette did not have any time to think as he was lifted and carried to the couch. Iruka fell to the couch with another gasp that Kakashi eagerly swallowed with his tongue again.

The brunette trembled as he felt a hand sliding underneath his black bed shirt, not fully understanding what was happening. Iruka moaned into the soulful kiss as he felt the ANBU's gloved hand graze his left nipple. His body bucked into the other male as his other nipple was pinched. Iruka lightly pushed the ANBU away, separating from the kiss to catch his breath. The brunette shuddered at the attack against both of his nipples.

Iruka's hips bucked again, desperate for some much-needed friction against his groin. The brunette blushed, still not comprehending the sudden development. Was the ANBU suffering from another adrenaline rush? The ANBU stripped Iruka of his shirt, revealing the tanned chest Iruka kept concealed the majority of the time. Iruka was a pretty picture beneath him, his long locks messy against the couch.

Iruka gulped as he heard the distinctive clips of the ANBU removing his armor. Kakashi removed his uniform shirt and the mask he kept underneath. Iruka's eyes widened as Kakashi removed his glove with his teeth before he did the same for the other hand. He flinched as he felt bare hands traveling his chest back to his nipples. Iruka bit his lip, trying desperately not to let out any embarrassing moans.

Iruka clenched the couch cushion beneath him as Kakashi's hand went underneath his waistline and gripped his sensitive cock. The brunette saw stars as the callused hand firmly stroked his length. This had never happened to Iruka before, and he let out a wanton moan as Kakashi picked up the pace. The silver-haired jounin stripped the brunette of his pajama pants and underwear with his other hand before he tossed them across the room.

Kakashi gripped Iruka's hair and pulled back before roughly kissing the brunette again. Iruka closed his eyes, at their current pace, he was not going to last much longer. Iruka clenched the couch cushion as he felt that distinctive white-hot feeling of a climax building in his loins. He pulled away from the kiss, throwing his head back as he felt his climax spurt against his abdomen. Iruka panted, unable to think.

Kakashi smeared the fluid on his belly with one hand, and the other gripped Iruka's hip. He pulled the brunette closer to him, where the brunette was balanced precariously on his lap. Iruka scrambled forward, wrapping his arms around Kakashi's shoulders to keep his balance from the sudden position change. Kakashi's hands traveled down his sweaty back before they reached Iruka's plump rear. He kneaded the brunette's cheeks before he spread them apart.

Iruka gasped at feeling himself being spread wider. He blushed, unfamiliar with what would happen next. Kakashi rubbed the taut entrance with Iruka's cum, slowly sliding the finger deeper. Iruka trembled, scratching Kakashi's back at the feeling of something going inside of him. He panted, not sure if the pain was a good thing or not.

Iruka's hair was pulled again as Kakashi pulled him in for another kiss, and the brunette felt his cock stiffening again. The brunette groaned as another digit entered him, spreading his hole wider. Kakashi released the grip on his hair and focused on Iruka's eager cock once more. Iruka's whole body flinched in shock, and he pulled away from the kiss as Kakashi hit a certain spot inside him, "N-not there, please!" Kakashi smirked as he kissed Iruka's neck and began focusing on repeatedly hitting that same spot.

Kakashi sucked harder at Iruka's neck, leaving pink marks that were sure to darken in the morning. Iruka moaned; it was all too stimulating. He sighed a breath of relief as Kakashi pulled his fingers out of his entrance. Iruka's eyes widened as he felt the warmth from Kakashi's cock grazing the hole he just pulled out of. Iruka, pushed away from Kakashi's firm chest, "W-wait, I'm not ready yet."

Kakashi slammed Iruka's hips onto him, shoving his length inside in one quick motion. He balanced Iruka as he fell back from the sudden motion. Iruka took several deep breaths to steady himself from the sudden intrusion. The brunette leaned his head against Kakashi's shoulder, trying to get used to the new sensation. Kakashi gave him a brief moment of respite until he began moving his hips, slamming deeper into the tanned man.

Iruka clawed at Kakashi's back, and the other simply groaned into his collarbone as he continued his merciless pace. The brunette panted like a wild animal, feeling fuller than he had ever been before. Iruka's eyes widened at the window they were in front of. What if the other ANBU saw what they were doing? Iruka's body tensed, clenching firmly against Kakashi's length.

Iruka attempted to push Kakashi away, but the other was an unstoppable force in motion. Tears fell from Iruka's eyes at his shame of being watched, "W-wait, Kakashi, the A-ANBU might be watching!" Kakashi gripped Iruka's length with his left hand as his right hand tightened on Iruka's right hip. Iruka couldn't stop his moans as Kakashi bucked his hips to be deeper inside him, hitting that tingling spot he had felt earlier. He felt his climax approaching once more, even if they had an audience.

"Let them," Kakashi grunted. He bit Iruka's shoulder and felt the tanned man ejaculate in his hand. Iruka's whole body convulsed after his second climax, clenching harder against the Kakashi's cock. Kakashi bucked a few more times himself, groaning as he reached his climax inside the brunette. Iruka trembled at the feeling of Kakashi's cock twitching inside of him. He leaned forward against the former ANBU, closing his eyes out of exhaustion.

Iruka's eyes shot open at the sound of the shrill alarm clock piercing through the room. He looked around his empty room and then down at his wet pants. Iruka ran his hand through his messy hair exasperatedly, he had another dream about the silver-haired jounin, this one more intense than previously. Iruka frowned, he was still hard. What was he, a teenage boy?

Iruka slammed the alarm clock off his nightstand, partially pissed off that it had awoken him from such intensity. He sighed as he let his hand slip underneath his waistband to grab hold of his length this time. Iruka bit his lip as he stroked himself impatiently, ready to relieve his morning horniness. He gripped around his head and felt his toes curling as he did so. It didn't take much longer for the sweet relief to cause him to spoil his pants once more.

He wiped his hand on his pajama pants as he caught his breath for a brief moment. Iruka made a note to do laundry later that evening. After he caught his breath, he picked up the alarm clock and glanced at the time. It was only a quarter past six, he still had enough time to shower. Iruka desperately needed a shower, judging by the state of his pajama pants.

Iruka hadn't seen the former ANBU in several weeks. Not since the silver-haired jounin had last walked Iruka to his workplace at the academy. Iruka grabbed his towel, uniform, and fresh underwear before he made his way to the bathroom. The brunette was going stir-crazy all because it had been a bit since he last saw Kakashi. He already knew he would be fantasizing about his dream for the remainder of the day.

Iruka turned on his shower and then set his items on the small countertop that he had. The legendary copy-ninja was now a squad leader, of course, the other man would be busier with his new responsibilities. He had heard from the Third Hokage that Kakashi had already been assigned to several squads of genin. The silver-haired jounin was becoming fairly infamous again as none of the genin squads had passed his test yet. Iruka had seen the written reports of where Kakashi had failed the squads of genin, citing that they were not fit to be ninjas.

Iruka stepped into the falling cascade of water and let the water rinse off his body. He quickly spurted some body wash into his hand and cleaned himself of any crusted cum. His cock was still sensitive to the touch. Iruka shook his head, he didn't have time to fap another one out before work. He washed his hair with the latest cherry blossom-scented soap that one of the children's parents had gifted to him.

The scented shampoo and conditioner smelled a bit feminine to him, but it had been a gift. He figured he might as well use it before he purchased more for himself. After all, unlike in his dream, the reality was that he did not have a partner. Iruka had thought that he had been making progress on his mission to get over the handsome jounin. He had been doing his best not to worry or think about what the squad leader had been doing.

Iruka smeared the conditioner into his long hair so that it would detangle more easily later. He blushed; the only person who had grabbed his hair before had been an enemy ninja during a fight. Iruka hadn't hated what had happened, instead, he worried that it would open him up to the world of kinks. He wondered if maybe Kakashi would prefer it if he had cut his hair shorter. Iruka supposed shorter hair would be more professional, but he had always had longer hair since childhood.

Iruka rinsed the conditioner from his hair. Realistically, he could cut his hair, and there was a possibility the jounin wouldn't even notice the change. He turned the water off and grabbed the towel off the countertop before he stepped out onto the soft shower mat. Iruka's routine had returned to normal after his abrupt meeting with the hardened ANBU in the first place. His life felt like it was dragging by slowly, day to day.

It had only been for a brief period, but he found himself missing the jounin's mostly silent companionship. Being an ANBU's caretaker had kept him busy but also given him a sense of pride in himself. As far as Iruka knew, the ANBU weren't even watching him anymore. The jounin had stopped calling him an angel at the mission's office as well. Everything had gone back to its previous mundaneness.

Iruka hadn't been sent on another mission since their last expedition to the Mist village. To his knowledge, there hadn't been any sighting of a mist ninja lurking in the village either. The Hokage had forbidden him from any further missions involving the Mist Village. Kato was still alive, but he hadn't heard anything new other than that his name had been added to the Leaf Village's bingo book. It seemed like Kato had finally given up on whatever that was.

Iruka had truly believed in the potential to garner a friendly relationship between the two villages by teaching the future leader of the Mist Village, but that no longer seemed possible. Even if it were, he was no longer able to be a part of the foreign exchange teacher program due to what had happened. Iruka solemnly accepted that reality; he couldn't cause a war between the villages after all. Iruka wrapped the towel around his waist as he brushed his wet hair, he didn't have much time left to get ready for the day.

The tanned brunette hastily put on his uniform and then quickly ran the brush through his hair again. He decided to leave his hair down and let it air dry on his way to work. Iruka scurried around his home as he gathered some of his graded papers and manila folders. He haphazardly put on his shoes with one hand. Iruka sighed as he realized he did not have any leftovers from his dinner, which meant he did not have lunch prepared for the day.

Iruka opened the door, his eyes widening in shock as he came face to face with the silver-haired jounin of his dreams. Kakashi smiled as he held a hand up and waved, "Yo!" Iruka slammed the door shut. Was he starting to hallucinate? The brunette pinched himself to ensure that he was actively awake; it hurt. Wait, did that mean that Kakashi was outside?

Iruka flung open the door, and the jounin swiftly moved closer to the doorframe to avoid the door slamming in his face again. The brunette almost fell backward in shock. Kakashi held the door open with his other arm and grabbed Iruka's waist to steady him and prevent him from falling. Iruka blushed at their closeness and dropped the paperwork that he had been holding. Kakashi grinned, "Maa~ what was that for?"

Notes:

Lemme just say if y'all have been here from the beginning, you are some super troopers! Re-reading my own story was hard even for me. This story began when I was a teenager, and I have since graduated from college. I have since painstakingly edited and fixed each of the chapters to fix grammar and plot holes within the story. Give it a reread, and hopefully it's a better experience. Give me some slack, as I am partially dyslexic and still human. Enjoy, lovelies, as always, reviews boost my ego and my motivation.

Chapter 16

Iruka’s mouth fell open in shock as he took in the form of the silver-haired jounin who had pulled him closer in an instant. It all happened so fast that he had dropped all of his paperwork onto the floor. Kakashi watched as a water droplet fell from Iruka’s still-wet hair onto his clothed shoulder. It was the first time he had seen the brunette let his hair fully down. The brunette had been in quite a rush to leave, it seemed.

Iruka put a hand on Kakashi’s vest and pulled away from the embrace, “Ah, sorry, you just surprised me.” Iruka quickly crouched down to pick up all of the fallen papers, he would have to organize them later when he got to work. Kakashi crouched with him and picked up some of the fallen papers himself before simply handing them to Iruka. Iruka smiled at him, “Thanks, I was in a bit too much of a rush, I guess.” Kakashi shook his head, “My apologies, Iruka-sensei, I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

The silver-haired jounin put his hands in his pockets, “I just got back from a mission, so I thought that I would check in and maybe walk you to work.” Iruka smiled warmly, “I have been wondering what you have been up to. You better not hand in another mission report with doodles on it!” Kakashi chuckled softly, “No? I heard that Lord Third is especially fond of my reports, though~”

Iruka softly punched the silver-haired jounin in the arm as he walked past him and shut his door. He quickly locked it with his key before he turned to the jounin, “Let us hurry, I’m running a bit behind.” Kakashi nodded simply, he was ready to match whatever pace Iruka set. He had only recently come back from a month-long surveillance mission, and he had hoped that the brunette had not forgotten him. Kakashi had quickly gotten bored during the mission as it was purely surveillance, no killing.

The silver-haired jounin had almost missed the simple take-out the target missions, as it allowed him to be home faster, but he was no longer ANBU. Most retired ANBU weren’t commonly sent on missions where killing was the go-to. He had been sent on a bullshit surveillance mission where he watched a fat pig gamble away his life savings for the entirety of it. Kakashi was a specialist in undercover operations and had quickly become the latest dealer at the casino that the man frequented. He had always been skilled at dealing cards, a skill that he acquired as a young ANBU who bet against his seniors.

The man was simply too broke to be a further threat to the Leaf Village and had even squandered his home away in a bet gone wrong at the casino. He would know, as he was the one who purposely dealt the man a losing hand. The casino loved their latest employee, who could deal like they had never seen before. Even they couldn’t tell he was rigging the game at the time. After he had thoroughly obliterated the man, which had been more of a side quest out of boredom, he returned home.

Kakashi’s mission terms never stated that he couldn’t engage with the target; all it stated was to surveil for a month and report back. What better way to surveil the man than to be where the man frequented on a daily basis? Plus, inside the casino, he had been able to gather intel on his target’s close associates as well. The Leaf Village had been concerned over reports that the man had been secretly acquiring a massive amount of weapons. However, the man was a drunk and a braggart who had been left penniless by the casino.

They had sent him on a mission to clear his head due to failing so many genin teams already. The fact of the matter was that they simply weren’t up to par. Not a single Genin team had utilized proper teamwork to pass their test. It wasn’t even a particularly difficult team test, but they all still failed. Kakashi looked at Iruka, who was speedwalking to the Academy.

“Ne~ Iruka-sensei, when does your current class graduate as Genin?”  Iruka looked back at Kakashi, and scratched his nose in thought, “Hm, my current class has about three years left at the academy, they’re quite young. It’s their first year right now.” Kakashi nodded, which meant he had three years of waiting to get the child he was particularly interested in, Naruto Uzumaki, on his team. This meant if he continued to fail the teams he was assigned, he would be sent on month-long missions regularly.

“Is there anyone you’re interested in? We have a lot of bright young students who are well on their way to graduating.” Iruka looked up at the silver-haired jounin who was somehow nonchalantly keeping his pace. Kakashi shrugged, “I guess you could say that.” Iruka frowned; it was almost irritating how aloof the silver-haired jounin tended to be.

Years of being ANBU would do that to a man. ANBU weren’t typically forthcoming with information that they acquired other than when it related directly to the mission at hand. Kakashi leaned forward, smirking up at the brunette, “I guess you could say I’m more interested in you~” Iruka halted, his brain not comprehending what had been said for a minute. Kakashi chuckled, waving his hand in front of the brunette’s face, who had spaced out, “Oi~”.

There was the possibility that the brunette-haired chunin hadn’t heard him at all. Iruka blushed so hard once he fully comprehended what had been said, Kakashi could practically see the steam coming off the brunette’s head. Kakashi particularly liked seeing the brunette’s tan skin turn crimson.  Iruka smacked the hand in front of his face away, “T-this is no time for jokes, Kakashi-san!” Kakashi shrugged again, “Who said it was a joke?”

 Iruka short-circuited again, coming to a full stop in the middle of the street. Kakashi could hardly contain himself from laughing, “Maa~ I think I saw a black cat, now I have to take a different path. I’ll see you soon, Iruka-sensei~” He winked at Iruka with his uncovered eye and used the transportation jutsu to appear on a nearby roof. Kakashi decided it was best to give Iruka some space before he missed class.

The silver-haired jounin let out the laugh that he had contained as he saw Iruka scamper away toward the academy. It was too much fun to tease the chunin sensei. Still, he had to do it in moderation; otherwise, he would be on the receiving end of Iruka’s temper. Kakashi was glad he had visited; it had been a long month without the chunin’s presence. Iruka’s presence seemed to make the air around him lighter and brighter.  

The chunin’s rare ability to feel empathy towards all those around him provided a sense of safety. The brunette didn't just bring light; he fostered a space where it could grow, both within himself and within those around him. Kakashi had negotiated with the ANBU that only one could guard Iruka at any given time. To his knowledge, they had formed shifts, and slowly, the hype around the brunette would eventually die down. Kakashi had also forced them to cut back on the angel talk as it had embarrassed the chunin-sensei.

Kakashi could tell he had a long way to go with courting the brunette. He wasn’t used to people not immediately falling for his wily charms. Perhaps it was because he was being genuine for once that he wasn’t taken seriously. Iruka had brushed him off earlier, but he did truly want to get to know the brunette better. He wanted to know everything that made him get up in the morning, down to the things that made him tick.

Kakashi put his hands in his pockets as he made his way to the memorial stone. There was already another ANBU following Iruka in his place by now. He wondered if Iruka blew him off earlier because he wasn’t interested in the same gender. Kakashi looked up at the blue open sky, his gender had also never been an issue either. He had always been able to turn the heads of both genders, even while masked.

If that were the case, he would have to be patient with the brunette-haired chunin. Being consistent in his life would allow him to eventually become someone that Iruka would recognize one day. With his new schedule, he was far less likely to be killed in action. Kakashi hopped down from the roof he had been on, to land in front of the Yamanaka flower shop. He briefly stepped inside and purchased the first bouquet he laid his eyes on.

The silver-haired jounin walked out of the shop and continued making his way to the memorial stone. Kakashi felt listless, not being used to his maximum potential mission-wise, but there was nothing he could do about that after being retired. He was still in his mid-twenties; he wasn’t burnt out yet. Kakashi didn’t necessarily miss being tortured, but that wasn’t always the case during his missions. He missed having a reason for Iruka to be overly involved in his life.

Kakashi sat in front of the stone with his back against it and the bouquet of flowers laid next to him. He closed his eyes and felt the wind blow through his hair. It would be indecent for him to nap against the stone; he had never let his guard down like that before. Kakashi stretched, “Well, guys, they retired me. Can you believe it? I thought they’d never let me leave ANBU.”

He knew better than to expect a response, but he imagined they would be excited for his new beginning. If he were to get a response, he was either also dead or under the effects of a genjutsu. Gone were his days of adding other ninjas to their village memorial stones. For the most part, at least, self-defense and the protection of the village were a big exception.  Kakashi lazily took out the latest copy of the Icha Icha Romance series that Lord Jiraiya just released.

…

Iruka barely managed to make it to class on time after his encounter with Kakashi that morning. Naruto laughed at his disheveled appearance that morning, and he couldn’t stop himself from clocking the young blond on the head. Iruka shook his head at the young boy, “It’s not polite to comment on other people’s appearances if you don’t know what they’ve been going through.” Naruto rubbed the sore spot on his head and nodded with his glassy eyes before taking his spot at his desk. Iruka took attendance before briefly excusing himself to the bathroom to fix his messy hair.

It had taken him far too long to collect himself after what Kakashi had said to him earlier that morning. First, he had a naughty dream with such intensity that it felt real only to open his front door to see the very object of his affection himself. That alone had shocked him to his core, and he made himself look like a bumbling fool immediately in front of the other man. Then, Kakashi only made him further confused. Had the other man truly been flirting with him?

Iruka splashed water on his face and smoothed his hair back into a quick ponytail. No, that was impossible. Even if Kakashi had been flirting with him, he had no doubt it was some type of joke. That or the silver-haired man flirted with everyone, which also made sense. ANBU may have been taught to be cold and emotionless, but they were still human.

It could have even been something that the jounin picked up from reading all of the smut Lord Jiraiya printed. Iruka groaned, not wanting to go back to his class and teach for the remainder of the day. Even if the other man had been joking, it had made his heart flutter and filled his stomach with butterflies. He also embarrassed himself in front of the other man for not knowing how to react. Iruka was worried that if he took the smooth-talking jounin seriously he would only be in for a world of hurt.

Iruka’s heart, however, had wanted to hope for more. He wanted to believe that the jounin was serious when he meant he wanted to get to know him better. If that were the case, what context did Kakashi mean by that? Did the jounin want to become better friends or get to know him romantically? Iruka slapped his cheeks in an attempt to get himself to focus on the work at hand and not the sultry retired ANBU.

The chunin sensei returned to class quickly. As he walked into the classroom, he was instantly disappointed by the state of disarray the class of young ninjas had caused in the ten minutes he had been gone. Iruka pulled Sasuke off of Naruto, who he had pinned to the ground, and he also grabbed hold of Naruto’s shirt collar. He shooed the surrounding ninjas who had formed a circle to watch the two fight, “Get back to your seats, now!”

The two young boys had each given each other as good as they got, judging by the bruises on both of their faces. Iruka sighed; the two boys weren’t even seated next to each other. How had they gotten on each other's nerves so quickly? He manhandled them out of class and into the hallway before he released them. Iruka put his hands on his hips, waiting for one of them to explain themselves.

Both of the boys pointedly looked away from each other, neither offering up any reasoning behind their physical altercation. Iruka rubbed the space between his brows, already feeling a headache coming in. He raised a brow at them, “Okay, if neither of you wants to explain what happened, then maybe you can discuss it with me in after-school detention as you clean up the mess you both made.” Sasuke clicked his tongue and put his hands in his pockets, glaring at his sensei. Naruto groaned and glared at the raven-haired Uchiha as he clenched his small hands into fists.

Iruka separated them further, putting more distance between each boy. He could tell by the looks on their faces that another fight was about to start between them. Iruka sighed, “Both of you stay out here for ten minutes to cool down before you come back in. If I hear a peep out of either of you, that’s another day of after-school detention, am I clear?” They both solemnly nodded, and Iruka had them stand on opposite sides of the doorway so they could still hear the lesson plan for the most part.

The day droned on, and Iruka wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep for the rest of the day. The children didn’t quite understand that after-school detention was also a punishment for him, as it meant he had to work overtime. He also had an evening shift at the mission’s office that he wasn’t looking forward to. Iruka had his head laid on his desk, as the two boys cleaned the classroom spotlessly. Naruto poked his head in front of him, “Ne~ Iruka-sensei, are you feeling all right? You’ve been acting weird today.”

Iruka smiled softly at the blond at simply patted his fluffy hair, “Get back to work, Naruto, the sooner you two are finished cleaning, the faster I can get out of here as well.” Naruto nodded, with more newfound motivation than before. Sasuke scoffed at the blond’s idiotic behavior and continued thoroughly organizing their workbooks. Iruka sat up, blinking frequently to keep his heavy-lidded eyes open. Naruto hadn’t been wrong; the stress of the morning had only worsened throughout the day, resulting in a pulsing migraine.

After the two finished their deep cleaning of the classroom, he sent them home. Iruka trudged his way to the mission’s office, feeling more nauseous by the minute. He was too stubborn to call off from his shift, especially when he did not have anyone who could cover. Iruka rubbed his temples, trying to find any type of relief from his pulsing head. He didn’t have any medications that he could have taken at work, so it only worsened.

“Iruka-sensei~ Iruka-sensei~” Iruka jumped and nearly fell forward in shock after tripping over his feet. Kakashi smoothly caught him once more as he wrapped his arm around the chunin’s waist and pulled him closer. The silver-haired jounin smiled at him, “That makes twice today that I’ve saved you from falling. I’m beginning to think you want to be in my arms.” Iruka blushed; he had been too busy being in pain to have even noticed the silver-haired jounin’s presence next to him.

Iruka simply smiled softly, not having much energy for much else, “Ah, you’re right, thanks again.” Kakashi raised a brow, looking at the shorter chunin curiously. Iruka hadn’t even shoved him away yet. The brunette’s complexion was also far paler than usual. Kakashi held a hand to Iruka’s forehead, his eye widening at how warm the chunin felt, “Iruka-sensei, you’re burning up!”

Notes:

Thank you for all of the lovely reviews. As always, I look forward to your commentary as motivation. Soon, there will be a time skip as Kakashi becomes the squad lead for team 7.

Chapter 17

Iruka didn’t shy away from Kakashi’s touch. The silver-haired jounin’s hand was cool and felt considerably better on his forehead. The chunin sensei closed his eyes to prevent himself from having another dizzy spell. His head was throbbing, and the migraine was making him both nauseous and feverish. Kakashi looked down at the brunette in his arms, “Ne~ Iruka-sensei, I think you should go home, you don’t look well.”

That seemed to spur Iruka into action. He brushed off the jounin, saying, “I’m fine, truly. I just have to make it another couple of hours at the missions office, then I can go home to rest.” Kakashi clenched his jaw, the brunette was obviously not in any shape to continue working. He admired that stubborn streak in the other. Kakashi would be hypocritical to say he didn’t often push past his limits working as an ANBU.

“I’ll cover for you, Iruka-sensei~” Kakashi smiled. Iruka was so taken aback by the suggestion that he almost forgot about his headache. The brunette eyed the silver-haired jounin incredulously, “You? You want to work a shift at the missions office for me?” After all, this was the same jounin who previously tried to turn in a missions scroll with chicken scratch and doodles.

 Iruka raised a brow at the jounin but regretted it as it sent a pang of pain across his forehead.  Kakashi held his hands up defensively, “Maa~ Iruka-sensei, I’m hurt. I might have been retired from the ANBU, but that doesn't mean I’m completely useless.” Iruka bit his lower lip nervously, he hadn’t meant to make the jounin self-conscious. He scratched the back of his head, “I-if you do go, you have to take this seriously, my reputation is on the line!”

Kakashi smiled at him, “Of course, Iruka-sensei, you have my word.” The jounin quickly signed for a clone who abruptly poofed into existence. Kakashi cocked his head at the clone towards the mission office, wordlessly expecting the clone to figure out what to do. The clone seemed to pick up on the job that was expected of it. The second Kakashi slowly wandered off in the general direction of the missions office, and Iruka prayed everything would be okay.

If Iruka had enough mental fortitude, he would have considered sending a clone in his place as well. However, the constant drain of chakra while he had a migraine would have only strained him further. His work at the missions office was voluntary, and his way of assisting his village to pay back their generosity when he was younger. Iruka had been a penniless orphan who had lost his parents during the attack of the Nine Tails. After that, the Third Hokage took him under his wing, similarly to what he was currently doing for Naruto.

Iruka had worked hard over the years to become the Third Hokage’s assistant of sorts. He enjoyed utilizing his time productively compared to wallowing at home alone. The brunette knew that the village would survive without him, but his small role helped him feel fulfilled and important. Kakashi leaned closer to Iruka, catching on to the fact that the shorter chunin’s attention had turned elsewhere. The chunin’s eyes were glazed, and his mind was elsewhere.

Kakashi hummed to himself as he mindlessly rubbed his masked chin. He was only used to that level of dissociation in immense pain. Kakashi would often dissociate during torture sessions to keep his mind from breaking. He wrapped an arm around Iruka’s shoulders and pulled him closer. To his surprise, Iruka complied and softly leaned into the jounin, resting his head on the other’s shoulder.

Kakashi’s heart fluttered, thumping fiercely in his chest. It was similar to that sickening feeling of his heart pumping faster due to being poisoned. According to his books, it was normal to feel that way around an attractive individual, which Iruka most certainly was. Kakashi wrapped his other arm around Iruka’s waist before he quickly used the transportation jutsu to appear in front of the chunin’s home. Iruka clung to Kakashi tightly, his eyes squeezed close to try and avoid additional nausea from the transportation.

Kakashi was phenomenally comforting as he held Iruka close, “Just lean on me, Iruka-sensei, I will take care of everything.” Iruka nodded softly as he rested his head on Kakashi’s chest. He felt like he was about to pass out, and the sturdy jounin was the only thing stabilizing him. Kakashi smiled, it was nice for the roles to be reversed and have Iruka relying on him for something. The jounin lightly patted the chunin down, in an attempt to find the house key.

Sure, Kakashi was equipped with the knowledge to pick the lock without the key. However, it was a much more pleasant experience to lightly cop a feel of Iruka’s taut ass and it was easier to try and find the key regardless. Kakashi smirked as the younger man flinched in his arms, startled by the touch, but he truly was innocently trying to find the house key. For all he knew, Iruka could’ve kept his keys in his back pockets, he was simply being thorough.

Iruka’s head was spinning, it had felt like Kakashi had grabbed his ass, but he wasn’t sure what was going on as he felt the jounin’s hands traveling across his body. The brunette wasn’t entirely sure if he was dreaming again or not. He pulled away lightly, looking up at the jounin with brows furrowed in confusion. Kakashi grinned at him as he held up the house key to demonstrate the reasoning behind the pat down. Iruka blushed; he had misunderstood again.

Of course, the jounin was simply doing his best to assist him. He was the only one who harbored dangerous thoughts. Kakashi was even going out of his way to volunteer at the missions office in his place. Iruka rubbed his temples and took a step back from Kakashi. If things continued, he would only continue to misunderstand the jounin’s affability. The brunette sleepily rubbed his eyes as well, “Ah, thank you, Kakashi-san. I will take it from here, I greatly appreciate your help.”  

Kakashi’s smile fell underneath the mask. Iruka was yet again putting distance between them after he thought he had finally gotten the chunin to rely on him. He briefly wondered if he had offended Iruka. Sure, he had grabbed Iruka’s ass, but it wasn’t as though he lingered in that area during his search for the keys. Still, it might have been too far, he mused.

“Are you sure you don’t need any assistance, Iruka-sensei? I’m capable of maintaining the clone until the missions office closes.” Kakashi gently cupped the brunette’s face. Iruka still had that dazed and confused look on his face, most likely due to the high fever. The brunette closed his eyes, leaning into the touch yet again. Kakashi was doing his best to assist him, and he kept pushing him away.

Iruka, could honestly use the help. He hadn’t felt so weak in such a long time. It was also always miserable to be home alone and sick. His dream was also most likely a fever dream. That would explain the intensity.

“Just wake me up in a few hours, then.” Kakashi nodded and swiftly opened the door with the key. He hadn’t seen Iruka alarm any of his traps that morning due to being in a rush, so that was one less thing to worry about. Iruka looked as though he was about to crash the moment he passed the threshold. Kakashi effortlessly lifted the chunin, carrying him bridal style.

 Iruka squawked in shock at the sudden momentum, “P-put me down!” Kakashi grinned at him but carried the brunette across the house. Iruka supplied several small painless punches to his chest in wordless complaint, causing Kakashi to lightly chuckle. He lightly put the chunin down on the bed. Iruka let his head hit the pillow, and the brief relief of being home made his eyes heavy.

Iruka’s eyes shot open as he felt the distinctive feeling of a cool hand sliding underneath his uniform shirt. Iruka blushed, “W-what are you doing?” Kakashi shot him a shit-eating grin in response, “Undressing you. What else would I be doing?” His hand continued to slide underneath the shirt, hiking it up to underneath Iruka’s armpits.

Iruka gawked at him, and that crimson blush of his spread to his chest. Iruka’s mouth opened and closed several times, much like a fish out of water, as he attempted to curse the jounin out but couldn't bring the words to come out. The silver-haired jounin regretted not uncovering his Sharingan eye to burn the image permanently in his brain. Iruka, with his tan skin, was illuminated by the warm setting sun. His skin was covered in small droplets or a thin layer of sweat, which was a clear sign that he had a fever.

 Kakashi continued to undress the chunin, Iruka had never said no after all. He had already unzipped the sensei’s vest and lifted him before he tossed the heavy vest onto the floor. Kakashi did the same for the chunin’s shirt, pulling it over his head and quickly discarding it. He also quickly removed the chunin’s shoes. The silver-haired jounin eyed the waistband of Iruka’s pants as he hooked a finger underneath.  

Kakashi glanced up at the sickly chunin who was nervously looking at him, “Ne~ shall I remove these too, Iruka-sensei?”

…

Kakashi sat wordlessly at the desk in the missions office, he made it on time for Iruka’s shift. When he sauntered into the lobby, the Third Hokage gave him an amused look as he puffed on his pipe. He took his seat beside the Third where Iruka typically resided and began to read his copy of the Icha Icha novel. The Third Hokage exhaled slowly, letting the smoke leave his lungs, “Where is Iruka-sensei?” Kakashi crossed his legs as he leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms out lazily, “He’s sick, I’m filling in today.”

The Third Hokage chuckled, “That boy works much too hard sometimes. He needs to rest occasionally,” he mused. Kakashi nodded softly, it had been difficult to convince Iruka to let him be a stand-in as is. The silver-haired jounin sighed as he saw the group approaching the desk. Genma, Raido, and Kurenai talked amongst themselves before they stopped in front of the desk.

Genma laughed loudly as he took in who was actually seated at the mission desk, “What are you doing here, Kakashi?” Kakashi’s eye twitched in annoyance before he smiled up at him. He held his hand out, “Mission report, please .” Genma flicked his trusty senbon to the other side of his mouth as he looked at the unassuming jounin. He could tell by the other’s chakra flow that the Kakashi before him was in fact a clone.

Genma contemplated popping the clone with said senbon, but then that really would get Kakashi on his ass. The silver-haired jounin could be terribly frightening when he had a vendetta against someone. Making the silver-haired jounin physically show up to work would probably wind up with him getting his ass kicked. Genma rationally decided not to poke the bear. He rummaged in his pocket before he tossed the mission report onto the table in front of Kakashi, ignoring the outstretched hand.

Kakashi slammed his fist onto the table, startling Kurenai with a sudden bang . He wordlessly opened the mission report. Kakashi rubbed between his brows, he could understand how Iruka could be burnt out dealing with the assholes that cocky jounin tended to be. He glanced up at the brunette, eye twitching in irritation, before he flapped the incomplete mission scroll that was missing half of its data. Genma put his hands in his pockets, pointedly looking away from the irritated silver-haired jounin.

“Ah, angel, I mean, Iruka-sensei usually gives me an extension if needed.” Genma rocked back in forth bashfully. He had been banking on the brunette being present for his usual shift. Every jounin knew that if they needed more time to fill out a mission report that as long as they were jovial with the chunin sensei he would begrudgingly allow for an extension to complete the report.

Most of the jounin were familiar with Iruka’s tendency to chastise them while still offering the extension at the end of the day. The ninja knew that they still got credit for turning their reports in on time if they at least attempted to turn in a report the prior day. Kakashi tossed the scroll back at Genma. He smiled as the other jounin fumbled to catch the scroll, “I’m not Iruka-sensei. You can finish that and get back in line, the lobby closes at eight.”

Genma groaned as he looked up at the ceiling of the room. He already knew that Kakashi could be an entirely reliable and thorough worker when needed. There was a reason that the man had thrived as the top ANBU in the village for as long as he did. ANBU mission reports were especially detailed, and he was surprisingly timely in getting them to the Hokage or the Head of ANBU.  Genma’s eye twitched as he stepped to the side to review what he had left of the report to complete.

The two weren’t actually on bad terms at all, many would even go as far as to call them friends. Genma had pushed his teasing too far, and Kakashi was simply setting clear boundaries. The brunette knew that underneath Kakashi’s cool and nonchalant façade was a calculative killer. It was the first time Genma saw Kakashi ever step out of his comfort zone to assist someone. Clearly, Iruka was incapacitated by something or someone .

Genma mouthed at the senbon, flicking it side to side. He had heard of the ANBU’s forced retirement. Perhaps, there was more than meets the eye between the two. Hell, he had seen the jounin in a near-death state collapse in front of the chunin where he was currently standing. Genma nodded his head aimlessly as he crossed his arms in thought.

He had just uncovered one of the village’s latest secret couples. Iruka would make Kakashi more human, at least. Iruka’s angel moniker suited the fiery man, and most likely would have continued if Kakashi hadn’t laid into them. It was an odd match-up between the angel and the demon of the Leaf, known as the copy ninja. Still, why did such a stickler have to replace Iruka?

Kakashi rolled his eye at the brunette who was seemingly suspiciously lost in thought. If Genma hadn’t been dramatic in the first place, he might have been inclined to follow in Iruka’s footsteps and allow an extension with the Hokage’s approval. Still, Iruka was a softie, and the jounin had gotten into a habit of taking advantage of that kindness. Kakashi was not Iruka. Kakashi had no such compunction to be as kindhearted towards assholes as Iruka did.

Kurenai chuckled as she lightly placed down her mission report scroll in front of the silver-haired jounin. Kakashi quickly glanced over her mission, finding no errors in the kunoichi’s reporting analysis. Kurenai smiled softly, “How fares, Iruka-sensei? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him not report to work before. Something serious must have happened.”

Kakashi’s clone did not know how to respond to that. He grinned back at her, “Maa~ I guarantee I am working on alleviating his stress at this very moment.” Kurenai raised a brow but remained silent before stepping to the side to allow Radio to come forward. Raido was a man of few words on a good day. He cleared his throat as he politely placed the scroll in front of Kakashi before he put his hand behind his back as if he were ready to be scolded.

Kakashi pursed his lips underneath his mask. Raido’s mission report was even worse than Genma’s. Kakashi glanced at Genma, who was muttering gibberish to himself about a new book idea for Jiraiya. He grinned, “Lord Hokage, I would like to request an extension for Raido Namiashi for an additional day.” The third Hokage chortled with his signature smoke pipe still in his mouth, “Permission granted.”

Raido exhaled in relief as he heard the news. Kurenai full body chuckled and she lightly covered her mouth with her hand to prevent making too much noise. Genma broke from his trance and snapped his head to look at the silver-haired jounin. His eyes widened as he was faced with that shit-eating grin that Kakashi would flash when things went his way. Did Kakashi really just grant Raido, of all people, an extension?

Notes:

Thank you all for your lovely comments and for allowing this fic to make its little comeback. Poor Iruka in distresssss, I love it though.

Chapter 18

Kakashi glanced up at the sickly chunin who was nervously looking at him, " Ne~ shall I remove these too, Iruka-sensei? "

Iruka’s foggy mind was muddled on whether or not he was in the midst of another dream. For whatever reason, Kakashi of all people was taking care of him. Iruka didn’t know how to respond to the sudden attention he was receiving from the man he was crushing on. Hell, he wasn’t entirely sure that it wasn’t a fever dream after all. Kakashi raised a curious brow at him but took the confused teacher’s silence as a form of silent approval.

The silver-haired jounin quickly and efficiently depantsed the chunin and discarded them onto the floor. Iruka would be uncomfortable sleeping in his bulky uniform pants while he was so feverish. The brunette didn’t have enough energy left in him to struggle. His head was still pounding, and he couldn’t think without it hurting. He covered his face with his arm to hide his embarrassment of being left in his underwear.

Iruka didn’t want to see whatever look was on Kakashi’s face, especially if it was mocking. It was foolish to think Kakashi was doing anything but assisting him and helping him get comfortable. Iruka shivered as the cool air in his apartment dried his sweat. He was experiencing both ends of the hot and cold flashes of a fever. Kakashi quickly covered him with a blanket, “Do you have any medication to help, Iruka-sensei? If not, I can run and go get some.”

Iruka coughed, clearing his throat, “Bathroom.” Kakashi nodded and hastily made his way to the bathroom. Iruka’s bathroom was pretty bare for the most part, with very little storage. Kakashi lightly popped Iruka’s mirror open and took a look at the medication stock. He ultimately decided on the cold and flu meds that also had pain-relieving aspects.

Kakashi grabbed the bottle before he closed the mirror. He took a couple of steadying breaths. At the end of the day, Kakashi was still a young man himself. His pants had tightened as soon as he saw Iruka flushed and embarrassed in his black boxer briefs. Luckily, he didn’t think the brunette noticed.

For a moment, Kakashi had forgotten his entire purpose for removing Iruka’s pants.  He had just wanted to be between his muscled legs as soon as he had removed them. Kakashi sighed as he rubbed his masked face with his hand. He was there to help Iruka, like he had helped him, not to take advantage of him. Still, the brunette had looked awfully pretty.

Thankfully, Iruka had been too sick and embarrassed to notice the predatory way Kakashi eyed his lithe body. Kakashi had wanted to lap up every droplet of glistening sweat on the brunette’s tanned skin. The silver-haired jounin shook his head and looked up at the white ceiling. He wasn’t exactly calming himself down by further fantasizing about all of the things he wanted to do to the chunin. Iruka was sick; now was not the time for all of his feelings to be coming to the surface.

Kakashi left the bathroom with the medicine bottle in hand. He made a quick pit stop in the kitchen to get a glass of water for the chunin. The silver-haired jounin stopped briefly as he noticed a familiar mask in the window. He shooed them away. Iruka didn’t need the ANBU to take care of him. Kakashi would suffice; he wasn’t totally helpless.

Kakashi knew that most ninja didn’t survive on soldier pills. He had also saved several lives on the battlefield by applying basic first aid and antidotes for poison. Kakashi could handle taking care of someone with a cold, even if he had never done it for someone before. He swiftly returned to Iruka’s bedroom to supply him with the meds that would hopefully help ease his pain. Iruka was still covering his face with his arm, using it to block the light at that point.

Kakashi hovered briefly before he lightly tapped on the chunin’s arm. Iruka slowly moved his arm out of the way, his face strained with pain. Kakashi handed him the water and assisted in helping the brunette sit up. With a furrowed brow, Iruka kept his eyes closed as the movement brought new pulses of pain. Kakashi placed the pills in his other hand and lightly guided Iruka’s hands to his mouth to drink both the water and the pills.

Iruka downed the pills like a champ, and Kakashi assisted in helping the chunin lie back down. It pained him to see the chunin in so much physical pain. Perhaps Iruka felt the same way after his ANBU missions. Iruka couldn’t even open his eyes without painful throbbing in his head that made him nauseous. Kakshi lightly covered his body with a cool sheet once more.

The silver-haired jounin made sure to turn off the light as it seemed that the brunette was sensitive to light. He quietly exited the room so that the brunette could get some much-needed rest. Kakashi put his hands in his pockets as he stood in the hallway, wondering what to do next. He lightly rocked back and forth on his feet as he looked up at the ceiling. Kakashi determined that a quick trip to the pharmacy and then a porridge shop would be his next steps.

The silver-haired jounin had found Iruka’s medicine cabinet to be surprisingly bare. It contained only a couple of bottles of basic cold and flu medications and vitamins. The brunette had all the necessities he supposed, but he didn’t have any fever patches that could cool him down. Kakashi surprisingly had more stock than the brunette, but it consisted mostly of antivenoms, which had been freeze-dried, and antidotes to poisons he had collected throughout his ANBU career. He had always been rewarded for saving the lives of his comrades and made sure to preserve the gifts carefully.

Kakashi glanced at the time as he crossed the kitchen. His clone still had several hours left at the mission's office before daybreak. Iruka worked too hard. There was no reason for him to slave away as a teacher and a volunteer assistant to the Hokage. He was working himself to death.

The silver-haired jounin armed several traps, just in case, before he exited the quaint apartment. He knew he was being hypocritical with his feelings. Kakashi had been willing to die for many years throughout his ANBU career. He had quite literally given up hope that he would not be killed in action like the many comrades before him. It was the chilling reality that came with being ANBU.

Kakashi had his will prepared since he was thirteen. In comparison, Iruka had not been heading to an early death like he had been. He knew the chunin was just doing his best at what he could to help the village. Iruka was not a typical shinobi. Sure, he was a fighter from what he had witnessed on their last mission.

However, Iruka only fought to protect. He didn’t fight for the fun of it like many shinobi did to test their skills. Kakashi had found fighting to be his only source of relief for many of his early years. Though after so many years of pointless killings and lives lost, he no longer found any joy in crossing kunai with another shinobi. It had simply been something he saw as a means to an end.  

He would either kill or be killed. Kakashi had cared very little about which way it turned out towards the end of his career. After meeting Iruka, something in him changed. He didn’t want to die if it meant he could see the brunette again. Kakashi wanted to bathe in the chunin’s warmth and be on the receiving end of those glorious obsidian eyes.

Kakashi liked the way that Iruka would turn red after glancing his way. He liked how thoughtful the other was despite his apparent discomfort. Even if he hated the way Iruka was overworking himself, he still liked his diligence and hardworking nature. He even found himself going out of his way to lighten the chunin’s workload. Kakashi had never gone out of his way to help someone like this before.

The silver-haired jounin sauntered out of the apartment, deciding to conserve his chakra. It would take more time to just walk than use his transportation jutsu, and it also felt more meaningful somehow. Would the chunin be impressed? Kakashi would be happy so long as the fiery sensei felt better. Unlike him, Iruka didn’t deserve to be in pain.

Kakashi wasn’t entirely sure what kind of relationship he wanted from the brunette. He didn’t do relationships because anyone he got close to always died. Would it even be safe if he pursued the brunette? There was always the possibility someone would find out and list the brunette as his weakness in the bingo books. That wasn’t far from the truth, though.

The silver-haired jounin ruffled his hair as he entered the nearby convenience store. He quickly made his way to the pharmacy section. Kakashi grabbed some fever patches and sweet cough drops. He also grabbed a bottle of liquid night cold and flu syrup in case Iruka struggled to get more pills down later. Kakashi made his way to the checkout counter before he paused as something caught his eye, curtains .

He glanced over the selection before he landed on a set of plain green blackout panels. Would Iruka be offended if he got him curtains? Kakashi didn’t want to impose and make Iruka think he was somehow better at home design. Still, the curtains could block out the incoming light. Plus, the curtains were on sale, and they also had the extendable tension rods right next to the curtain panels.

Kakashi could even make sure that they were installed before the chunin even woke up. The ANBU problem had kind of settled, but there was no reason for it to continue for any longer. He shouldn’t have competition for guarding Iruka’s home. Nor should anyone see Iruka prance around his home uncovered either. The thought alone of the ANBU watching Iruka naked made him unreasonably irritated.

Kakashi decided it would be better to ask for forgiveness after he installed them. He only bought one pack, which would at least give Iruka privacy in the bedroom. The silver-haired jounin felt like it would be pushing it to also buy curtains for the living room. His hands were full carrying the additional items to the checkout counter. The clerk in front of him appeared pretty lifeless, as the day of work had drained him.

Kakashi honestly preferred when strangers didn’t make small talk with him. He didn’t usually let others get close enough to him to bother with meaningless exchanges. Still, Guy had taught him that it was too rude to ignore others flat out. He also knew that Iruka would probably get onto him as well. Kakashi offered the clerk a soft smile as he handed over the money.

The clerk bagged his items, and he left the store a few moments later. Kakashi knew a little shop that made rice porridge. He frequented them fairly regularly after he recovered from his injuries. A fresh hot bowl always seemed to help make him feel better, hopefully Iruka would feel the same. The leftovers also kept fairly well in the fridge if Iruka wasn’t able to eat much.

Once he reached the food stall, he placed a to-go order for two and waited patiently. The only downside to the stall was that they were slow due to being run by an elderly couple. He waited for about half an hour before he finally received his order. Kakashi also flashed them with a soft smile as he paid. Its effect was diminished by the mask, but they at least weren’t terrified of him.

Kakashi wasn’t covered in blood or bandages from old injuries. Those days seemed to be long gone as a new squad leader. Gradually, his reputation might improve throughout the village if he weren’t consistently on death's door. A retired ANBU still didn’t quite feel right. It still felt as if he would be summoned for some random mission at any time.

The silver-haired jounin was also so used to being tortured, beaten, and poisoned that low-ranking missions felt extraordinarily mundane. Once he got a squad to look after, that would be all they would do until the kids grew up. Kakashi was having a hard time accepting that the ANBU had sharpened his skills to such an extent, only to abandon him before he broke entirely. The only positive to the situation was that he would be in the village for longer periods before he would have to leave on another mission. That at least allowed him to check in on Iruka, even if all they could do was walk to the academy together.

Kakashi needed to find an alternative way of becoming closer to the chunin. He had an old camera he could dust off. Kakashi pondered for a while, it had been ages since he walked around the village with his camera. He was brought from his musings as he stopped in front of Iruka’s door. Kakashi opened the door and disarmed the traps he had left.

He was getting used to setting and disarming traps within the brunette’s home. It was almost becoming routine at this point. Kakashi set the food on the kitchen counter and began assembling the curtains. That was one of his main priorities. He didn’t want any ANBU to see the chunin sensei so defenseless.

Kakashi held the rod in one hand while the other carried the remaining medical supplies. He quietly entered the bedroom, which had thankfully dimmed a bit as the sun began to set officially. Still, the window was letting in the soft sunlight of the sunset. Kakashi put the curtain rod to the side of the bed that Iruka wasn’t occupying. The brunette was in a deep slumber, sprawled across the bed.

The silver-haired jounin wished he had his camera with him. Iruka had kicked off his blankets with his feet and stretched across his bed. His tanned body practically glowed in the warm light that bathed his body. The waistband of Iruka’s black boxer briefs had also slipped dangerously low, exposing his happy trail. Kakashi rubbed his face with his hand in frustration.

The jounin decided to quickly install the curtains before any more ANBU caught a glimpse of the scene before him. He very slowly clambered across the bed so as not to wake the sleeping brunette. Kakashi was careful to avoid the sprawled limbs underneath and made quick work of installing the tension rod in the windowsill. Luckily enough, everything fit perfectly, even though the curtains were a tad bit longer than he expected. It didn’t look bad, and they weren’t too long.

Kakashi sighed in relief that was one thing down. He leant forward to feel the brunette’s forehead. Iruka was still warm and clammy, but his fever was not as intense as it had been before the medicine. He leant back and opened the box of fever patches, which would still help the chunin sensei cool down a bit more. Kakashi leant forward again to put the cooling patch across Iruka’s forehead.

To his surprise, Iruka blinked his eyes open at the cooling sensation across his forehead. Iruka’s body reacted before his foggy brain caught up with him. He immediately went to grab the kunai underneath his pillow and take care of the intruder in his bed. Kakashi’s breath hitched in surprise as he narrowly avoided the kunai. He quickly disarmed the chunin and pinned the brunette’s hands above his head.

The silver-haired jounin also pinned the brunette’s squirming legs and pressed them down with his weight. Kakashi lightly tapped on Iruka’s face with his other hand, “Iruka, Iruka, wake up, it’s me.” Iruka stilled, blinking several times so that his vision was not so blurry. The room was so dark he couldn’t see clearly. His instincts had just told him that someone was in his bed.  

Iruka struggled helplessly against the death grip on his wrists. He bit his lip; his legs being pinned made it even harder to try and break free. His body also still felt unimaginably weak, and his head was still pulsing with each movement. He panted as he gave up his struggle against the foreign intruder in his bed. Kakashi held Iruka in place for a bit longer, he wasn’t trying to get stabbed somehow.

“Iruka, I will let you go as soon as you won’t hit me.” Iruka’s senses finally seemed to catch up with him, “K-Kakashi?” Even Kakashi couldn’t see very well in the room after the curtains had blocked off the last bit of remaining light in the room. He didn’t blame Iruka for his response at all. It was only due to years of being in danger that he had a keen awareness of when he was about to get stabbed.

Iruka’s body went slack underneath him as he stopped his struggle. Kakashi heard the sigh of relief that Iruka let out. He hoped Iruka didn’t think he was a clone or an impostor. Kakashi cautiously released his grip on Iruka’s wrists, but kept his legs pinned just in case. Though he did adjust his position so that he wasn’t pressing down on them harshly.

Kakashi reached out around the bed for where he had seen a lamp earlier and slowly managed to pull the cord to illuminate the room. It was only once the light was turned on that either of them realized how close they actually were. Kakashi was positioned between the chunin’s legs, pinning his firm thighs down with his knees. Iruka’s face was so close to his that he could feel his warm breath against his mask. Kakashi gulped as both of their eyes widened in shock.

Notes:

A huge thank you to all of my new readers for making it this far! Thank you all for your lovely comments, kudos, and for reading. I smell jealousy in the air. Kakashi only breaks out his camera to collect intel smh. Are y'all picking up what I'm laying down there?

Chapter 19

Kakashi’s eyes narrowed as he looked into those deep obsidian depths and saw fear. He should’ve known that even Iruka would have been terrified of him. More than anything, he had wanted to close the distance between them and capture the brunette’s lips. Kakashi cleared his throat and, with immense effort, scrambled off the bed where he had trapped the sickly chunin beneath him. The absence of Iruka’s warmth beneath him was immediately noticeable, and he found himself craving to return to that position between Iruka’s legs.

“I'm sorry about that, Iruka-sensei. I was only trying to put a fever patch on your forehead.” Iruka absentmindedly touched the cooling patch on his forehead and nodded. The brunette eyed the former ANBU, scrutinizing him from head to toe. He sighed once more as he wiped the grogginess from his eyes.

The man before him didn’t appear to be a clone. Iruka hadn’t fallen asleep that hard in a long time. He had been shocked, to say the least, when he felt movement above him in the bed. Iruka had thought his throat was about to be slit in his sleep which was why he had reacted the way he did. In hindsight, he didn’t have many enemies for that situation to happen, but he was still a ninja.

“I'm sorry about my overreaction. I haven’t had someone taking care of me in so long, I had forgotten what it felt like,” Iruka chuckled bashfully. He was embarrassed that he had reacted like that towards someone who had only been trying to make him more comfortable. Iruka knew he didn’t have any fever patches, meaning Kakashi had gone out of his way to purchase them to help him. Iruka wanted to curl up in on himself and hide away from the world.

Kakashi smiled softly, “I’m glad you’re awake, though. You need to eat so that the meds won't upset your stomach. I picked up some rice porridge on my way back. Let’s eat it before it gets cold.” Iruka’s stomach growled in response, and he cringed in embarrassment.

 It was only then that he remembered his nakedness and that he was only in his underpants.  Luckily, it seemed as though Kakashi was too focused on setting up dinner for him to notice as he had exited the room, at least he hoped. It seemed lately that all Iruka did was embarrass himself in front of such an impressive ninja. Furthermore, they had sort of a moment there, and he completely ruined his chances with the silver-haired jounin. Iruka held his face in his hands as he cursed the way that he had reacted.

Kakashi had been acting so sweet, tenderly taking care of him, and he straight attacked the man. Furthermore, he had lost instantly. Iruka didn’t stand a chance against the copy ninja. He had been pinned so quickly that his brain hadn’t even comprehended it entirely. Then, once Kakashi had turned on the light, they were so close they almost kissed.

The whole situation had Iruka’s adrenaline rushing and his heart pounding in his chest. Suddenly, his heart was beating in his chest a whole lot more than before once he realized the situation properly. It felt like he was stuck in one of his dreams again. Iruka pinched himself, and the throbbing pain made him realize that he was indeed awake for everything that had happened. A part of him wished for a redo of the events that took place. When would he ever be so close to the jounin ever again?

Iruka bit his lip and shook those thoughts away. He needed to focus on getting dressed to eat the dinner his friend had provided. That’s right, they were just friends now, nothing more. Iruka slid out of bed, wincing slightly at the pain in his head from each movement. He felt slightly better than he did before, but he needed to sleep his migraine off some more.

Iruka opened his dresser and grabbed a soft white oversized t-shirt and some gray baggy shorts. It was his usual lounge-at-home outfit as they were both baggy enough to be lazy and comfortable in. He also took his messy ponytail out and let his hair fall loosely around his shoulders. Iruka finger-combed his hair a bit, but his messy hair was simply none of his business at the moment. Kakashi popped his head back into the room as Iruka was about to weakly make his way to the kitchen.

Kakashi smiled and spread his arms out wide as if to embrace him. Iruka raised a confused brow at him as the silver-haired jounin inched closer to him. He backed away a bit because he didn’t like the mischievous glint in Kakashi’s singular eye. Kakashi was too quick, and Iruka felt the distinctive feeling of being swept off his feet. Iruka clung closer to Kakashi in order not to fall.

“Maa~ Iruka-chan, if you needed help, you should have asked me sooner! I’m always willing to sweep you off your feet any chance I can get.” Iruka rolled his eyes, he was slowly getting used to Kakashi’s jokes. He just wished the other man didn’t say such confusing things all the time. It was bad for his heart, because he liked it, if he were being honest.

Kakashi was careful but quickly brought him to where he had set up a bowl of rice porridge for him. He lightly set Iruka onto the cushion on the floor in front of his designated bowl and spoon, which resided on the coffee table in front of him. Kakashi took his seat next to him, sitting close enough that Iruka felt their knees touching. Iruka was dazed as Kakashi nonchalantly unmasked himself to take a bite out of his bowl of food.  He quickly turned his attention towards the piping hot bowl of food in front of him so as not to stare at the other.

Iruka wanted to respect Kakashi’s privacy, and he did his best not to look at the other’s face. Internally, he was also leaping with joy that the other man felt comfortable enough to unmask himself next to him. It felt like an accomplishment that very few around the mysterious jounin were privy to. He felt special that he happened to be one of them. Iruka’s stomach warmed as the porridge filled his belly.

The cooling patch on his forehead kept his temperature from elevating too much due to eating the warm meal. Iruka couldn’t eat much even though he had practically starved throughout the day. He had abstained from eating lunch because he had been worried that eating with his migraine might make him feel even sicker. Iruka was still worried the food might come back up, so he didn’t want to overeat and regret it later. Kakashi passed him a lid to cover his food as if he read his thoughts.

Iruka peeked over at the still-unmasked man who was grinning at him lazily. He pointedly looked away from the other man, who simply chuckled softly in response. Kakashi leaned against the coffee table, having also finished his food. He openly eyed the brunette’s slender build, taking in every detail like a predator about to eat their next meal. The casual baggy clothes with the messy hair down look Iruka was sporting was positively delectable.

“Was the food good? I was hoping you would be able to eat a bit more since you’re so skinny,” Kakashi smirked at him. Iruka nodded before he cleared his throat, “I’m not skinny! It’s all muscle!” Iruka was still looking away from the jounin who was clearly making fun of him.

The chunin sensei did his strength training like every ninja. He just had a fast metabolism and might have tended to skip a meal or two due to work. Iruka admonished himself, he wasn’t much better than Kakashi when it came to eating meals on a routine. Even so, he was strong, not skinny. He felt as if he had to prove himself to the jounin and held one of his arms up to show off his muscles.

Kakashi burst out laughing. Iruka was simply too cute all fired up. The brunette was muscular, sure, but he was also still on the leaner side. Iruka turned to him, scowling, and looked Kakashi straight in the eye with his fierce disapproval. Kakashi rolled up his sleeve and flexed his arm next to Iruka’s. Iruka’s face fell into dismay and shock.

It was stupid of him to challenge a former ANBU who had only been out of the field for a couple of months. The side-by-side comparison only made him realize how lacking he was. Iruka dropped his arm and covered it with his baggy sleeve again. He bit his lip; he truly hadn’t thought he was skinny. Maybe their issued uniforms made him look bigger than he was.

Kakashi playfully wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. “Maa, you can’t compare yourself to me. I am simply one of a kind. You’re healthy; you’re just on the slender side. In fact, I’ve dropped down to about your weight after several missions where they starved us before. Honestly, soldier pills are not the best diet either. It’s not that big a deal; I was just worried.”  

Iruka tensed at their sudden closeness and also at the revelation of Kakashi’s still unmasked face. Kakashi’s unmasked face so close made his heart race unreasonably fast in his chest. Why the hell hasn’t he put his mask back on? The crimson blush that spread across his body made him even more embarrassed. Iruka wasn’t feeling well enough for all of the visual stimulation that the unmasked jounin was, which made him lightheaded.

 Kakashi tilted his head and eyed the brunette, “Are you feeling okay, Iruka? It seems like your fever is back.” Kakashi frowned, perhaps he had accidentally kept Iruka awake longer than he needed. He leaned back a bit, giving the brunette some space. Iruka still had a couple more hours before he could take more medication.

“Ne~ Iruka, I think I should stay the night, is that okay? I can wake you up again in a couple of hours for you to take more meds.” Iruka froze, Kakashi staying the night? The brunette simply nodded; his brief lapse of clarity was quickly fading. He felt his body shift as Kakashi lifted him once again, and he weakly leaned into the other man.

Kakashi lightly patted his back as he wordlessly carried the brunette back to his room. Luckily for him, Iruka was light enough for him to carry easily. Which had been the only reason he had even bothered to comment on Iruka’s weight. In retrospect, he could see how offended Iruka had gotten and made a mental note not to bring it up again. Maybe we can eat together more?

Kakashi could also do for a bulk, he just hadn’t wanted to tell Iruka that. The silver-haired jounin lightly set Iruka back in the bed. Iruka groaned softly with his eyes closed and snuggled into the bed. Kakashi lightly peeled the fever patch off his head and replaced it with a fresh one. After he was done, he turned the lamp off and quietly exited the room.

Kakashi decided it was time to take off his external gear, which included his combat vest and uniform shirt. He folded his shirt and set it aside on the coffee table next to the couch. All that remained was his sleeveless mask-shirt combo that he usually wore underneath his uniform. Kakashi also made sure that he put the food leftovers in the fridge before he made himself comfortable on the couch. He took his favorite book out of his vest pocket and lazily propped it open to keep himself occupied for the next several hours.

After finishing a particularly juicy part of his book, Kakashi glanced towards the clock on the wall, determining that sufficient time had passed for Iruka to take another dose of meds. He grabbed some more pills and a glass of water before he quietly crept into Iruka’s room. Kakashi was on guard so as not to repeat his previous mistakes and went straight for the lamp first. He lightly propped Iruka up, who groggily opened his eyes. Iruka took the pills and drank from the water glass that Kakashi held up for him.

Kakashi laid him back down and replaced the fever patch once more. It was nice to see Iruka so docile and submissive. He just wished it wasn’t due to illness. Still, Iruka was cute either way. Kakashi had done his job, and with any success, Iruka would be feeling a lot better once he woke up in the morning.

Kakashi had also gotten all of the memories from the clone he had sent to the missions office in Iruka’s place. Genma had begrudgingly been able to produce a reasonable enough report before the night ended. Kakashi smirked to himself. Genma really should have known better. Other than that, the rest of the night had been uneventful.

Kakashi read his book until his eye felt heavy, and he allowed himself to fall into a deep slumber on the couch. He didn’t wake until he heard the tell-tale sounds of another ninja getting ready in a hurry. Kakashi kept his eye closed until he heard the brunette exiting the bathroom. Iruka blushed as he made eye contact with Kakashi, with his hair wet and only a towel wrapped around his waist. He glanced at the time before he hurriedly scampered off back to his room to finish getting ready.

Kakashi grinned, it had been worth staying the night after all. He lazily put his uniform shirt and vest back on so he would be ready to leave whenever Iruka was. Iruka exited his room only several minutes later, his hair still down, but combed through at least. The brunette quickly grabbed the leftovers out of the fridge and motioned for Kakashi to follow him. Kakashi assisted in setting the traps while Iruka grabbed the last of his work materials.

The two hastily left the house and made their way to the academy. Appearance-wise, Iruka didn’t seem to be as bogged down as he was the day prior. Kakashi glanced towards the brunette to find that Iruka was also looking his way. Iruka turned his face away after making eye contact with the nonchalant jounin. He cleared his throat, “Thank you for last night. I appreciate all of your help lately, Kakashi.”

Kakashi chuckled lightheartedly, “Goodness, Iruka, I was only returning the favor. It was no problem; I’ll gladly help anytime.” Iruka bit his lip, blushing furiously. Kakashi stopped in his tracks suddenly, and Iruka turned to him. Iruka followed the direction of Kakashi’s eye to see the man Kakashi was staring at. A brunette with purple facial markings, a long green trench coat, and a flesh-toned scarf was waving towards Kakashi.

Kakashi smiled at Iruka softly, “It seems like we must part ways here, Iruka-sensei. I hope you continue to feel better.” Iruka glanced over at the other brunette, who cheerfully smiled at him. Kakashi slowly made his way over to the other man, who brazenly pulled him closer to him. Iruka was shocked at their closeness and watched the two men walk away, leaving him behind.

Iruka had never seen Kakashi socialize much, so it had been a surprise to suddenly witness the appearance of his mysterious friend. It was all Iruka thought about as he remained distracted even after he got to work. Who was that man? What is he to Kakashi? No matter how much he racked his brain, Iruka had never seen the other man before.

Iruka sighed heavily as he heated his leftovers for lunch. Somehow, he had managed to power through his morning lessons despite everything on his mind. Iruka wasn’t sure if the other man was also a ninja or a civilian. Not that it was any of his business who Kakashi talked to anyway. Maybe he was being too nosy, spending all day wondering what the other’s relation to the silver-haired jounin was.

“Hey, did you hear that famous reporter is back in town now?”

“No way! The one who does the matchmaker?”

“Yes! I saw him on my way to work this morning and did a quick interview with him. I’m so curious about who my match will be!”

“Doesn’t he only do the matchmaker every several years?”

“Yes, but so many ninjas have gotten married after being matched! They say he’s capable of matching you with your soulmate . I wouldn’t mind being matched with him if I’m being honest.”

“Aw man, I wish I would be interviewed one day as well!”

Iruka glanced up at his fellow kunoichi in the breakroom. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop on their conversation, but they were talking quite loudly in the first place. Iruka had briefly heard about the legendary matchmaker from his coworkers before. It was a column that came out in the Konoha news every so often, pairing eligible ninjas and kunoichi together based on their answers to the interview questions. He had never been interviewed before, but the candidates were supposedly always stopped by the reporter at random.

Iruka cleaned up after himself after he finished his meal. He still had the rest of the day to get through. Luckily, it was Mizuki’s shift at the missions office after work, so he would have the rest of the day once he powered through the remainder of the day. Luckily, the day flew by, and he dealt with very few distractions from Naruto and Sasuke. The two were seemingly pointedly ignoring each other, which made for a quiet day for him as their teacher at least.

Iruka finished grading some papers after hours before he decided to head home. He was pretty exhausted and maybe had overdone it trying to catch up on some of the things he was getting behind on. Iruka detoured to the park to see some of the cherry blossoms that had begun blooming. He had only detoured to see if they were they had bloomed enough so that maybe he could mention it to Kakashi when he saw him again. Iruka’s eyes widened a bit as he saw the man from earlier that morning photographing the cherry blossom trees.

The other man seemed to notice him and waved at him the same way he had done to Kakashi. Iruka awkwardly waved back at the unknown man who began to approach him. The man in green held out his hand as he quickly closed the distance between the two of them. On instinct, Iruka shook hands with him before he even conceptualized what was happening. Iruka wasn’t sure what to make of the other man.

“Hello! I’m Sukea, a freelance reporter. Do you maybe have time for an interview today?”

Notes:

You guys, thank you for all of your lovely comments, kudos, and bookmarks. I really appreciate your commentary! Kakashi is up to no good, hehe :) What could his alter ego be plotting with his sudden comeback? Hm, I wonder if Iruka has finally met his soulmate ;)

Chapter 20

Iruka abruptly took his hand back and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. He wasn’t used to being approached for something like an interview. Still, he couldn’t help but be curious. Had Kakashi interviewed with the reporter before him earlier that morning? Was Kakashi looking for a soulmate? 

“Ah, um, an interview for what exactly?” Sukea smiled at him warmly, and Iruka couldn’t help but feel that the man before him was familiar. If he hadn’t seen Kakashi’s face the night before, he would have never noticed that the two had a beauty mark in the same spot. Still, the man before him was completely different than Kakashi. They were opposites, Sukea had dark brown hair, light grayish eyes, and his voice was quite a bit higher pitched than Kakashi’s. 

Sukea rummaged in his green trench coat for a brief moment before he pulled out an old edition of the Konoha News. The brunette fanned the newspaper out in front of him and pointed out the columns in which he was cited. Sukea’s lively air around him was also very different from Kakashi's. Iruka bit his lip, was he truly so in love with Kakashi that he was finding similarities in every person that reminded him of the silver-haired jounin? Iruka leaned forward a bit to read the columns that Sukea pointed out, deciding to distract himself. 

Sukea cleared his throat, “I’m a traveling freelance reporter, I’ve done a lot of the photography of the ninja wars for the Konoha News as well. However, what I’m most famous for is the matchmaker column! I’ve helped many people meet their soulmates! So, what do you say, want to give it a try?” Sukea winked at him, and Iruka’s eyes widened in shock. 

Iruka flushed a bit, “Ah, uh, I’m not sure that it would work so well with my, uh, type.” Iruka closed his eyes tightly, absolutely mortified. He had never admitted out loud to anyone that he found himself attracted to men. Honestly, that had been quite a recent development in his life. Iruka had never really had a crush on anyone before Kakashi. 

Sukea whistled, “That’s A-OK! The matchmaker results are based on those whose preferences are mostly aligned. That also includes sexual preferences. I also don’t make a match solely based on that either. For a small service fee, I can also privately send you the results!”

Spoken like a true businessman, Sukea had thought of everything. Iruka preferred anonymity, so the private results were a huge plus. Iruka smiled softly, “Did Kakashi, uh, do an interview as well?” Sukea grinned slyly, “Kakashi-san and I go way back, but he’s never participated in the matchmaker until this morning! I was so excited to finally convince him!” 

Sukea gave Iruka a knowing look and tilted his head slightly, “Are you two perhaps, an item? Here I thought I was one of his only friends. I’m actually a jounin as well, I just travel a lot for work between our neighboring villages, so I’m gone most of the time.” Iruka blushed, “Oh, no, we’re just friends.” 

Sukea pulled out a notebook and several photos, which he also fanned out in front of Iruka. “I have several action shots of Kakashi-san for sale if you’re ever interested. These always sell; he’s kind of a living legend in the village, you know.” Iruka eyed the images of Kakashi briefly; they had truly done the former ANBU justice. Still, he thought it would be creepy to purchase photos of his friend from someone he had just met.

“I think I am only interested in the interview, thank you though.” Iruka made a mental note to try and ask Kakashi what exactly his relationship with Sukea was. Maybe the man before him had also been in the ANBU, as well as Kakashi, seeing as he had never met him before. Still, the Konoha News article was post-dated from several years ago, so it wasn’t as if the man before him never lived in the village. As a reporter, it seemed as if he also reported on the front lines of the ninja wars. 

Sukea guided Iruka to the nearest bench in the park to conduct the interview. Iruka looked around him, that was where he had first met Kakashi. Years ago, Iruka had been struggling with how to treat Naruto. Kakashi had been the right person even at that time. He had been the voice of reason that made Iruka realize the prejudices he was unconsciously putting on Naruto. 

Sukea smiled at him, “Are you ready? First, let's start with your name.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry that I never introduced myself. My name is Iruka Umino, and I work as a teacher at the academy.” Iruka smiled at the other man, embarrassment obvious on his face. He should have introduced himself after Sukea had, but he had been too distracted thinking about Kakashi. For some reason, he was thinking about Kakashi a lot more often than he usually did. 

Sukea jotted the details down quickly in his notebook, “Next, what is your type? Male, female, or both?” Iruka scratched at his chin nervously, he found women quite beautiful, but his feelings had never gone beyond that. He gulped, “M-male, I guess.” Sukea tapped his pen against his lips in thought, a knowing smile across his face that unnerved Iruka. 

“Um, are these answers confidential? You’re not going to tell anyone, are you?” Sukea turned his attention towards Iruka, “Of course, if your match prefers public results, I only list the initials as well to keep you anonymous. I never tell anyone their results before it's published as well. Let me get your address as well.”

Iruka nodded, feeling slightly better, and listed off his home address. Sukea continued to jot down everything the chunin sensei said in his notebook. Iruka glanced at the notebook, and somewhere inside, Kakashi’s answers were also listed. Sukea looked at him slyly, “Based on your previous answers, let me guess, you like silver hair and dark eyes?” Iruka’s eyes widened before he rubbed his face with his hands. 

This random reporter seemed to have read him like a book. It was truly impressive how accurate he was. Had he noticed the way Iruka looked at Kakashi from their brief moment of eye contact earlier that morning? Iruka had thought he had done a reasonable job of concealing his feelings for Kakashi. Maybe it was obvious to everyone except the ANBU. 

“I guess you could say that.” Iruka paused before he took in a deep, steadying breath, “I’m going, to be honest here, I have a crush on Kakashi-san. You could say that I’m doing this so that I can know his type before I get my hopes up for something more.” A soft blush appeared on Sukea’s face, and he looked nervous for the first time. Iruka supposed that anyone would be a bit uncomfortable hearing that a man had a crush on his close male friend. 

The chunin sensei bit his lip nervously; he hadn’t expected Sukea to freeze the way that he did. Sukea coughed a bit before he jotted down some more answers in his notebook. Iruka felt bad; Sukea probably already knew that Iruka didn’t have a chance with the silver-haired jounin. He certainly hadn’t meant to put the reporter in such an awkward position. Iruka waited patiently for the reporter to continue, but after an awkwardly long moment of silence, Iruka couldn’t stand it anymore. 

“You should know that I don’t expect to match with him at all. Again, I fully expect him to match with someone else with whom he has a future.” 

“What if you did match?” Sukea’s tone was uncharacteristically serious compared to prior. His voice sounded lower as well, and more familiar to someone else he knew. Iruka blinked, was the nonchalant reporter character all a façade? His eyes narrowed, eyeing Sukea up and down. 

Iruka shook those thoughts away; he was simply being paranoid. Iruka looked at the cherry blossoms, “I guess it would be nice if we could date and see where life takes us. I’d really like to see these cherry blossom trees with him if I can. Simple stuff like that.” Sukea smiled at him and jotted more down into his notebook, “Would you say that is your ideal date?” 

“Maybe that with some dinner. I really enjoy the Ichiraku ramen shop in town. But we’ve already been there together, so maybe somewhere new. I’m not so sure what would be best, I’ve never really dated.” Sukea nodded as he listened attentively. 

It appeared as though Sukea had decided to go down the route of being a professional reporter. After a few more rounds of questions, Sukea closed his notebook. Iruka struggled to get a good read on the unknown reporter. Sukea’s emotions had seemed all over the place throughout their interview, and he was unsure why. The only thing he could think of was that Kakashi’s answers were entirely different from his. 

That, and the fact that he now knew Iruka was crushing on the friend he recently reunited with. By the end of the interview, Sukea looked pleased, to say the least. Maybe because he had finally finished the interview. Sukea put his notebook away into his trench coat and flipped the cap off his camera lens. He held it up, “Now, do you mind a photo so that I can send it to your match?” 

Iruka nodded, smiling softly at the camera. Sukea raised his camera and took a quick photo of Iruka with the cherry blossoms in the background. The chunin sensei stood up from the bench, “Thank you for your time today, Sukea-san. I’m sorry I made you feel so uncomfortable, but I’d like to get to know you better as well.” Sukea smiled at him, “I will be out of town in the next couple of days, but the results should be posted within the week.” 

Sukea stood up and held his hand out for one last handshake with Iruka. The brunette before him seemed as if he knew too much. The sly look on his face was indecipherable to Iruka. Iruka felt as if he had been played, but he wasn’t sure as to what. He felt in his pocket to find his wallet still there; he hadn’t been pickpocketed at least. Iruka pulled his wallet out, “Oh, by the way, how much is that fee?” 

“It's only 700 yen, which is about the average cost of postage anyway.” Iruka nodded, that was a fair price. He grabbed the change out of his wallet and put the money in Sukea’s outstretched hand. Iruka smiled at him and waved at him before he turned to leave. He could see why his coworker had been so attracted to the elusive man. 

Iruka felt a little bit lighter after confiding in someone about his feelings for Kakashi. It felt less risky to confide in a stranger he would never see again than someone closer to him. Perhaps that was why he had been as bold as he had been. Plus, Iruka would know by the end of the week what Kakashi’s type was, which inevitably would not be him. It would be far easier to break his own heart than Kakashi too. 

The chunin sensei made his way home, hoping that maybe his path would cross with Kakashi’s, which would be like fate. Unfortunately, he did not see Kakashi on his way home. He felt foolish for getting his hopes up. The man had just spent most of the night caring for him, so it was only natural that he return home. Still, Iruka wished he had more time with Kakashi. 
…
Sukea leaned back against the bench, absentmindedly gazing at the cherry blossoms across from him. Halfway through the interview, Kakashi felt guilty. He hadn’t expected Iruka to fully reveal his crush on him. All he had hoped for was that he was close enough to Iruka’s type that he could shamelessly match himself with Iruka. Matching with Iruka would have given him enough of an excuse to make more moves on Iruka. 

The matchmaker had been something he did periodically for many years. Kakashi’s sensei, Minato, was the one who had crafted the alter ego for Kakashi in the first place. Sukea existed both on paper and as often as Kakashi felt like. Minato had created birth records, ANBU placements, and IDs, everything he needed to officially live as Sukea if he truly wanted to. If Iruka did some digging, he would find the full file on Sukea as an existing person other than Kakashi. 

His disguise was flawless. Young Kakashi adopted the identity of Sukea at the young age of thirteen. It had been Minato’s way of providing him with another life if he so chose. Kakashi had primarily used it to gain intel on the other ninja within the village. It always helped him to know their weaknesses, their likes and dislikes, essentially who he would need to take out in case of a rebellion. 

Minato had always told him to become Sukea if he ever wanted to desert or if everything simply became too much for him. His sensei had been very aware of his age in the midst of the ninja war. Kakashi had been a child soldier with not much to live for at a very young age. The young generation thankfully never had to experience what Kakashi had been through. That was the blessing he had been able to assist in providing for children like Naruto. 

Kakashi had never utilized his alter ego in such a way before. He could acknowledge that if Iruka ever found out he would be in deep shit. Even he didn’t necessarily think it was okay. He simply couldn’t stop himself. Iruka had seemed completely oblivious to his feelings, so he needed to know more. 

Kakashi had barely been able to contain himself when Iruka had admitted his fondness for him. He had wanted to sweep him into a kiss, but then he probably would have been attacked. Iruka had been on guard with him from the beginning. It seemed like the only reason that he had talked with him was because he had seen him with his clone earlier that morning. It was a good thing that Kakashi had sent his clone out as Sukea earlier that morning to interview many of the kunoichis he passed by. 

Kakashi decided that he would tell Iruka about who Sukea truly was, one day, far into the future. He didn’t want Iruka to hate him. He chuckled softly, so Iruka wanted to date him. Kakashi felt giddy at this newfound knowledge. It seemed like things were finally going his way. 

Sukea would tastefully disappear before the results came out. Kakashi now had enough confidence to be honest with Iruka about his feelings. Even if Iruka rejected him for whatever reason, he now knew deep down that Iruka had the same feelings towards him. The two had been stuck in a game of cat and mouse for the past several months. Now, the chase was finally coming to a close. 

Sukea sighed softly, love-struck from his previous interview. He needed to interview more people before he could post the results. Surprisingly, after he interviewed Mizuki that morning, it also appeared as if he had a fondness for the chunin sensei. That had irritated him. Iruka had more flies around him than he realized. 
…
The rest of the week had flown by without any sight of Kakashi. Iruka wondered if the silver-haired jounin had been sent on another lengthy mission. He wished that Kakashi would pass a genin team rather than have to be disciplined with long missions as a result. At least if he took on a genin team, most of the low-level missions were local. Iruka had moped around that entire week, anxiously waiting for the letter in the mail. 

Iruka could break his foolish crush if he were matched with someone else. Maybe he would be more compatible with his match anyway. He didn’t know what he was hoping for. The likelihood of Kakashi and him dating, even if they matched, was incredibly low. They were both ninjas after all. It was difficult as it is for a ninja to date, let alone two male ninjas. 

The chunin sensei fiddled with his pencil as he waited for his genin students to finish their pop quiz. He eyed the sleeping Nara child and the Inuzuka boy next to him, who was trying to sneakily copy him. Iruka slammed his hand on his desk as a warning to any of the cheaters in the room. Iruka knew that Shikamaru could have either aced the quiz or slept through it entirely. Naruto’s friend group was full of other misfits like him. 

Birds of a feather flock together, he supposed. Iruka clapped his hands as the timer for the quiz went off, “All right, times up. Please bring your quizzes to the front.” After he gathered all the quizzes, he decided to have some mercy on the children. Only half an hour of the class remained, “Self-study for the rest of the period. If you fail, you will be responsible for a make-up quiz.” 

Iruka began grading the quizzes. He sighed heavily, Shikamaru’s quiz was entirely devoid of any answers. He hadn’t even woken up to hand in his quiz, so Choji had passed it in for him. Kiba’s quiz didn’t fare much better, and he had scraped by with a low D minus. Iruka shook his head; both boys would have to make up their quizzes at a later date. 

When the bell rang, the children rushed out of the room, excited about the weekend. Iruka didn’t blame them. He would have also been excited about the weekend as well if he didn’t have an evening shift at the missions office. Iruka collected his stuff and lazily made his way to his second shift of the day. He wasn’t feeling like working the second shift, but he knew he had responsibilities. 

Time went by faster when he kept himself busy. Iruka also hadn’t seen Sukea again at all. He had heard about the mysterious reporter in passing from others at the missions office, but that was it. Sukea had come and gone just as quickly as he said he would. Despite the awkwardness between them, Iruka felt that if he had gotten to know Sukea better, they could also be great friends. 

The brunette hummed softly to himself as he made his way to his second job. Iruka quickly took his place at the mission desk. It didn’t take long for his regulars to slowly filter into the office. Iruka quickly read over the reports that he was handed in, and most were properly filled out. Whatever Kakashi had done kept many of the jounin in line lately. 

Kurenai smiled fondly at him, “Congratulations, you two. I’m happy for you.” Iruka raised a brow, “Forgive me, Kurenai-san, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The kunoichi held her hand up to her mouth, “Oh my, I thought you had seen the results.” She dug out a newspaper from her pocket and handed it to him. 

Iruka pursed his lips as he read through the results of the latest matchmaker column. Kurenai matched with Asuma; that was intriguing. He always knew the two were secretly a thing. The brunette glanced at her, not finding what she meant at first. Iruka gasped as he saw towards the bottom of the page a K.H. matched with an I.U. 

Notes:

Heyo, this chapter had me suffering second-hand embarrassment to the max! Was Kakashi maybe slightly manipulative, hmm, yes. But that's also true of his character. Kakashi is the type to get what he wants by whatever means possible. As always, if you enjoy this fic, please let me know, I thrive off your commentary. This fic is finally inching closer to its end. Where one chapter closes, another opens. I have a Guideverse AU Kakashi (Esper) x Iruka (Guide) in the works! I will begin uploading those chapters upon completion of this fic, so fret not. Thank you to all my readers who have joined me on this journey. I appreciate every review, kudo, bookmark, and more! :)

Chapter 21

The newspaper crumpled beneath his hands. Iruka didn’t know why. Perhaps it was easier to skip over his embarrassment and go straight to rage. Yes, being mad at that shifty reporter was a lot easier than accepting the fact that it was horrendously obvious who K.H. and I.U. were. His brow twitched in frustration.

Why the hell would Kakashi publicize his results? Iruka sighed, that shifty reporter had done exactly as he said. He briefly recalled Sukea claiming the results would be published in such a way. Iruka just never assumed enough people would figure it out so soon. He cleared his throat as he looked at the ruined paper he had almost torn to shreds.

“Ahem, pardon me Kurenai-san. I, uh, have never participated in this before, so I was briefly shocked. I will pay you back for the paper I ruined, just give me one moment to get the change.”

Kurenai held her hand up to stop him from getting up, “It’s fine, Iruka-sensei. It seems as though quite a few of us would be shocked by the pairings this time around.” Iruka bit his lip, his brows furrowing in nervousness. Kurenai smiled softly, “I meant me, Iruka-sensei. I have never thought of Asuma-san in such a way. Perhaps I might need to,” she chuckled softly.

Iruka’s shoulders deflated, perhaps Kakashi thought the same. Never thinking of him that way, but paired together out of pity. Maybe the reporter had felt bad enough for him that he fixed the results. He nodded his head and simply stamped the seal on her mission report.

“Ah, um, yeah, good luck, Kurenai-san.  Have a good rest of your evening.”  Thankfully, Kurenai simply left it at that before she turned to leave. Iruka only managed to get through the rest of the night by not focusing on the crumpled paper next to him. Even then, the Hokage sent him home early.

He was grateful for that because his stomach had been in knots since he talked with Kurenai. Why should he care what people think of them? They were two adults who had consented to the same interview everyone did. That didn’t mean that they were automatically together. It also didn’t mean that every participant took the results as the holy grail.

What was even the likelihood of them getting together only because of the results? Extremely low. Iruka gritted his teeth as he looked at the letter in the mailbox, undoubtedly the results he had requested. He was a bundle of mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was relieved and happy to see the unmistakable silver hair poking from the top of the photo as soon as he had opened the letter.

On the other hand, he was suffering from stomach pains over what it all meant and what would happen next. Iruka’s anxiety was overwhelming him. He didn’t know why he was so on edge. Maybe because if Kakashi was upset over the results, he would want to crawl into a hole? Iruka was fluctuating between thoughts of a future together with Kakashi and the possibility of devastating rejection by the same man.

Iruka unlocked the door to his modest apartment and quickly disarmed all of his traps. He hurriedly closed the door behind him as he took off his shoes in a rush. Once barefoot, Iruka allowed his body to navigate towards his couch. He let his body fall into the cushions with a soft, “umpth,” escaping his lips as he landed. Iruka groaned softly, he was overreacting to the smallest things.

Perhaps it was best this way. Iruka hadn’t even dared to fantasize about a time when the results were what he had secretly hoped for the whole time. Now that he was living through it, he was utterly ill-prepared for what it meant in reality. He needed to get over it. That was life, things happen.

There was no point in dwelling on things that had already happened. He wasn’t a fortune teller who could predict the future. Iruka turned his attention to the letter in his hand and fully opened it in its entirety. His brow twitched as he recognized the action photos Sukea had fanned before him prior. That motherfucker!

Iruka tossed the photos onto the coffee table. They were irritating to look at. He was also irritated with himself that he didn’t hate them. The photos were honestly quite good and revealed Kakashi’s strength as a ninja. Iruka sighed, looking at the ceiling in disbelief.

The next time he saw that reporter, he was going to have some words with him. Iruka didn’t know what he’d say, but he would figure that out in the moment. He closed his eyes; he needed to figure out how to talk to Kakashi first. Iruka was terrified of rejection. What if he told him to just ignore the results? Iruka felt a lump in his throat and clenched his shirt in his hand.

It didn’t take long for Iruka to fall into a deep sleep on the couch. After being emotionally exhausted throughout the day, he was weak to the pull of slumber. Unaware of the beasts lurking outside, watching the events play out. In recent weeks, since Kakashi had been back, the majority of the ANBU had given up watching their angel throughout the evening. The EX-ANBU had even put up curtains in the bedroom.

So, they also saw the angel far less, even if they were to observe. However, with the development of recent events, there was an increase in the ANBU who were yet again lurking in the trees. It only took a pair of binoculars to see the results on Iruka’s coffee table. Once the results were posted, the ANBU immediately looked into the background of the photographer themselves. The results had lit a fire underneath those who had participated.

The ANBU who had participated had felt suspicious of the photographer they had met. According to official gate entry records, he arrived on Sunday. Several ANBU saw him exiting the village before they lost him heading North. Tenzo looked at the results with his binoculars from his spot in the tree. Hah! ANBU lost track of a photographer?

The photos on Iruka’s coffee table were undoubtedly his senpai’s photos. Tenzo had gotten suspicious of his senpai the moment he had seen the results posted in the paper. He did his due diligence in investigating the photographer’s official records himself before evening set. According to official records, the photographer Sukea was Kakashi’s roommate, who only made his appearance about once every three years. He also had a pretty massive record for someone so elusive.

Sukea was an ANBU who completed half as many ANBU missions as Kakashi. Which was impressive because Hound was a monster; no one had a record like his. Yet Tenzo had never heard of him before. There were numerous records stamped personally by both the Fourth and Third Hokage with their official seals spanning throughout the years. Even though he had wanted to question it further, there were photos of the photographer and his roommate spanning through their youth.

Several of the photos also included the Fourth Hokage with the two boys. The two young men were the same age, off by a couple of months, and had officially met in the Academy. Eventually, they became roommates after their teams died and entered ANBU around the same time. Hound and Coyote, the official codenames assigned to both men once they entered ANBU. Tenzo frowned, he once recalled asking his senpai how he got so strong.

“Sometimes you have to be as shifty as a coyote to survive.” Kakashi had grinned at him and simply left it at that. Tenzo pursed his lips before he put the files back into their previous spot. He closed his eyes, this is none of my business. It was an inside job, no doubt.

Tenzo quickly left the records room before he made his way to Iruka’s apartment. He sighed as he gripped his binoculars, before he put them down. Tenzo shook his head, he felt pity for that innocent chunin for getting involved with someone like his senpai. He couldn’t definitively define what Kakashi had done. All Tenzo knew was that when Kakashi wanted something, he always got his way.

…

Sukea leaned back on his couch, panting heavily before he unbuttoned his tan coat to cool himself down. It had taken a while for him to lose so many ANBU following him. Fucking Tenzo. He wiped his brow, smearing some of the purple makeup he had on. Kakashi ripped the brunette wig off, which was drenched in sweat.

Kakashi knew the ANBU interference came from someone he knew closely. Someone who was onto him. It didn’t matter even if all of the ANBU knew of his alternate identity, none of them would be able to prove it. Kakashi also didn’t care what his colleagues thought of him. His mind was only occupied by what a certain chunin sensei thought of him. Even then, he wasn’t entirely opposed to locking the chunin sensei away if he had to.

Kakashi had spent the entirety of the week as Sukea gathering information from all of the most elite ninjas in the village. He prided himself on the accuracy of his results. It took some time for him to match people together based on their results. Kakashi didn’t even technically fabricate his and Iruka’s results; it was true that they both liked each other. Even though, honestly, he would have fabricated the results even if Iruka didn’t like him.

Kakashi sighed, why is that brat getting in my business? He would have to discipline Tenzo the next time he saw him. If he told Iruka any of his suspicions, he was a dead man. Kakashi could’ve been far worse if he wanted to. He was borderline a psychopath after living as an ANBU for so long.

Even then, he felt normal with Iruka. Iruka was someone who could keep him in line. Kakashi had never felt such pure feelings for someone before. Iruka made him feel as if he wasn’t insane. Even if he was broken, Iruka could put his pieces back together. After spending time with the other man, he felt as though even if he took off his true mask, Iruka would love him.

Which is why he was going through such lengths to impress Iruka. Iruka brought out a side of him that was softer and more caring. Well, he was only like that to Iruka. He wanted to lighten the chunin’s burdens. Kakashi wanted Iruka to be his.

Tenzo had two options. He could either be firmly disciplined by his senpai or simply sit on his newfound information. Kakashi cracked his hands, once he got hold of the younger ANBU, he wasn’t going to let him off easy. He would beat him until near death, heal him, and do it again. The silver-haired jounin was not about to let someone ruin this for him.

Kakashi was well aware that his personality was fucked. Who would be normal after surviving what he had? Tenzo had a fucked-up personality himself. All ANBU had warped personalities; one had to be fucked up to survive the missions they went on. Kakashi knew he was a monster, but was it truly so selfish of him to want to be with someone who made him feel something?

Kakashi had been devoid of emotions for so long that they felt foreign when they began returning because of Iruka. The silver-haired jounin tapped his finger beside him. There was no point in worrying about it all night. He trained Tenzo, the younger ANBU would know what he needed to do. Kakashi stood up to shower and take out the contacts that were irritating his eyes.

…

Tenzo felt a shiver run up his spine. Yeah, it was best he left things be. He gained nothing but a powerful enemy by letting Iruka know his suspicions. That’s all they were anyway. Nothing but suspicions.

His senpai had saved his life numerous times throughout the years. Tenzo’s loyalty lay with Kakashi in the end. Even if his senpai was a morally gray bastard. Iruka was already caught in his senpai’s spiderweb. It was best to just let things naturally take their course.

Tenzo had seen Kakashi torture people. He had seen his senpai invent ways to torture people for information. It wasn’t worth it for him to get involved any more than he already had. No doubt if he was right, Kakashi already knew it was him investigating his roommate . Tenzo nodded, Yeah, I’m not going near Kakashi for a while .

There was a high probability he would suffer a similar fate if Kakashi found him. He needed to leave on a mission until Kakashi calmed down. It’s not as if he had ever seen Kakashi’s face, so there was no way of knowing if he was right anyway. Honestly, Kakashi would probably be more upset by the invasion of privacy than by feeling any remorse for his actions. Manipulation was almost second nature to ANBU, who did undercover missions, which Kakashi specialized in.

Undercover ANBU had to be manipulative to survive. How else would they be able to convince people their fake identities were real? Tenzo left the tree to go get a new mission to leave the village. What Kakashi did in his personal life was none of his business. Tenzo wished Iruka luck; he would need it to survive the demon that caught hold of an angel’s wings.

…

Iruka woke up feeling sore from the way he had sprawled on the couch. He all but jumped off the couch once he realized the time. Iruka was already running late, but it was a good thing he was still wearing his clothes from the day prior. Agh, I can’t believe I fell asleep like that! He scrambled to his bathroom to put on deodorant and brushed his hair quickly.

Iruka grabbed his vest, which was the only thing he had removed, and hastily put his shoes on. He didn’t even have time to arm his traps. What was the point anyway? His place was still being routinely monitored by ANBU. There was usually at least one posted near his home since he had met Kakashi.

Iruka rushed to the Academy. If he ran the whole way, he would only be a few minutes late. He didn’t know why this kept happening. Iruka had never had a history of being late so often before. He bit his lip, well, he knew why, but admitting it to himself made him feel even worse.

Iruka kept getting so distracted by Kakashi that it was difficult to focus on anything else. He hadn’t set an alarm last night; he was lucky to have woken up when he did. Still, it was unfair to blame Kakashi for his irresponsibility. The silver-haired jounin didn’t even realize the effect that he had on him. Iruka decided that today would be a self-study kind of day.

Which was exactly what he did after he got to work. Throughout the day, he assisted the kids with any problems they were struggling with. Other than that, he focused on trying to figure out how he should face Kakashi. It was best to act normal and brush it off. It was just a random circumstance, who knew they’d get matched?

If he played it cool enough, maybe Kakashi wouldn’t take it seriously. Iruka knew he would be foolish to hope for anything else. It would be even more devastating if he went and got his hopes up all on his own. That was the frustrating part. In one of the deepest parts of his heart, he was excited, hopeful, and yearning for something to happen.   

It was the logical part of his mind fighting against his heart, and they were both in a stalemate. What did he even want to happen? If by some chance, they talked things out, would they actually date? What would dating between two men even look like? Iruka nibbled on his lip, too stressed out to conceal his anxiety.

Somehow, the day flew by when all he managed to do was worry about what would happen between him and Kakashi. Maybe he should get things out of the way. Perhaps he should rip things off like a Band-Aid and just come out in the open with his feelings. That way, his feelings would be crushed, and he could go home and deal with it. It would be better than staying by Kakashi’s side and falling for him even further.

The problem was that Iruka was not that bold. He was always the type to sit silently anytime someone caught his fancy. Iruka was also the type to break his own heart before his feelings got out of control. His feelings for Kakashi were different than his previous crushes. They didn’t go away, no matter how much he told himself it was an impossibility.

Iruka slowly gathered his things and cleaned off his desk when he heard the bell ring. The children rushed out of the room, finally free from the constraints of school. Their sensei stayed behind, compiling stacks of paperwork. He would input their grades the following day, but it helped to be organized beforehand. Once Iruka finished tidying up, Iruka set off for the evening.

It was one of the rare evenings when he didn’t have a shift at the missions office, so he decided to take a quick detour to the park to clear his head. Iruka hadn’t been to the park since his interview with the mysterious reporter. Since the results had been posted, he avoided the park like the plague. Still, he felt a force almost pulling him in that direction, so he followed where his feet were automatically taking him. Iruka paused once he arrived, freezing in place as he took in the familiar silhouette of his friend.

Kakashi was sitting on the bench where they first met. He had his signature book in hand, but he wasn’t reading. Kakashi’s attention was on the cherry blossom tree in front of him. He watched as the branches swayed in the wind, causing the pink petals to flutter to the ground. Kakashi’s spikey hair fell softly onto his forehead as the leaves rustled in the background.

Iruka’s hand unknowingly clenched into a tight fist. It was unfair for someone to be so picturesque. He stared at Kakashi, for he didn’t know how long. It wasn’t until the former ANBU’s gaze turned to him that Iruka was spurred to move. Iruka’s fight-or-flight response was triggered the moment he locked eyes with Kakashi.

The brunette chose flight, and he began hastily speedwalking to avoid the very person he hadn’t planned on meeting yet. Kakashi stuck out a long leg blocking his path, nearly tripping the chunin. Iruka barely managed to keep his balance from falling forward. He instinctively turned his face angrily to tell off the silver-haired jounin. Kakashi slid a hand around the chunin’s waist to help him balance, before he used the same hand to pull Iruka even closer.

Before Iruka knew it, he was pulled into a half hug with Kakashi’s arms wrapped around his waist. Kakashi laid his head against him and looked up at him with a sly smile. Iruka could tell that Kakashi was pleased with himself, even though he still wore his mask. Iruka blushed as he went to push down on Kakashi’s arms. The harder he tried to push Kakashi away, the tighter his arms seemed to wrap around his waist, unbudging.

“Aw, c’mon, Iruka-sensei, don’t be like that. I thought we were friends.” Iruka flinched and stilled his body. Kakashi was right; they were friends. He was the one making things awkward between them. Iruka sighed before he softly patted Kakashi’s back, “Okay, I won’t leave, so let me go.”

Kakashi lifted his head and looked into Iruka’s eyes. He slowly released his grip and leant back onto the bench once more. Iruka pointedly looked at his feet, not having enough courage to look Kakashi in the eyes. His fist was clenched hard enough that his nails left small half-moon impressions on his hand.  Iruka had never been this nervous since his first day as a teacher. Kakashi grabbed Iruka’s clenched fist, unraveling it quietly.

“Did you hate it that much? The results, I mean.” Iruka gulped, a lump in his throat that made it hard to swallow or say anything. Kakashi couldn’t have been more wrong. It was the fact that he didn’t hate the results. That they made him hope for more from the man in front of him.

“N-no, I didn’t hate them. I was just surprised.” Iruka clenched his eyes closed, his brow scrunching. He was not brave enough to look at the jounin’s face after he barely managed to choke out a response. It was because his eyes were closed that Iruka missed the sharpened predatory gaze that flashed across Kakashi's face.

Kakashi interlaced his fingers in Iruka’s hand and pulled the brunette onto his lap. Iruka’s eyes widened in shock as he attempted to scramble away. How the hell did I end up on his lap?  Kakashi’s other hand quickly wrapped around his waist to keep him from falling and moving away. Kakashi chuckled softly, that deep baritone which sent vibrations towards parts of Iruka he didn’t want to acknowledge.

“W-what is the meaning of this?” Kakashi held his hand in a vice grip that he was unable to pull away from.

“Ah, I’m sorry Iruka. Forgive me for what I’m about to do.” Iruka raised a curious brow. He was already wondering what the hell Kakashi was doing by acting the way he was. With his free hand, Kakashi quickly pulled down his mask, which temporarily froze Iruka in place. Anyone would freeze once they saw that face unmasked; it was hard not to stare.

Kakashi used that moment to put his hand around Iruka’s chin and pull his face closer to his. Iruka had been so caught off guard at the gentle hand caressing his face that he didn’t even realize their closeness until their lips pressed against each other. His brown eyes widened even further in shock as his brain short-circuited. K-k-k-k-kiss! Kakashi chuckled softly against his lips.

 He used his hand to press down against Iruka’s jaw, deepening the kiss and sliding his tongue in. Iruka’s body trembled against him as he melted into the kiss. The brunette broke the kiss first, gasping for air. Kakashi didn’t give Iruka much time to breathe before he pulled Iruka back into the kiss. Something deep within Kakashi boiled to the surface as their tongues danced against each other.

Desire. The desire to go even further with the tanned man who was trembling in his lap and melting like putty over a couple of kisses. He wanted to make Iruka his. Kakashi wanted to be the only one responsible for making Iruka’s face look the way it currently did. He wanted to lock him away from everyone so that Iruka would be forced to focus only on him.

Kakashi knew his feelings were different from Iruka’s. His feelings were much more carnal than Iruka’s pure feelings. The important factor was that the feelings he had for Iruka were intense enough that he would never let the brunette go. It didn’t matter if he needed to wait days, years, or decades to get what he wanted. There was a fire within him that Iruka had fanned the flames.

Kakashi cared how Iruka thought about him. He didn’t want Iruka to hate him and think of him as a monster like so many did. But honestly, Iruka could hate him, and he would be pleased so long as Iruka felt strongly about him. Kakashi would use whatever Iruka felt about him to his advantage. For now, he wanted a future with Iruka that aligned most with what the brunette had previously envisioned.

Kakashi pulled away from the kiss and licked his lips. Iruka put his trembling free hand in front of his face, essentially blocking Kakashi from attempting another mind-shattering kiss. Now, Iruka was more focused on how to hide the growing bulge in his pants than anything else. A sly smile crossed Kakashi’s face, and he released Iruka’s hand from the vice grip he had it in. Iruka blushed as he attempted to pull his vest down as much as possible, but it was too late; Kakashi was well aware of the effect he had on the brunette.

Iruka closed his eyes shut tightly, groaning softly. They were in the middle of the park for fucks sake, and he had a hard on. Kakashi also fiddled with Iruka’s vest, straightening out some pockets to pass the time. He bounced Iruka on his lap with his long legs and laughed heartily at the indignant squawk that left Iruka’s lips. Kakashi let his hands slide down to grip Iruka’s hips and hold him in place.

“It’s okay, Iruka, there’s no one here. I just wanted to show you how serious I am.” Kakashi wasn’t lying; the park was completely void of people despite them. Unbeknownst to Iruka, Kakashi had a couple of clones planted in the trees ready to ensnare any passersby in low-level genjutsu. There was no way Kakashi would let anyone but him see Iruka getting all hot and bothered.

Kakashi lightly picked up Iruka’s hand and kissed the back of it. His signature grin spread across his face as he moved Iruka's hand to cup his face, much like he had done to pull Iruka into the kiss prior. Kakashi looked up at the chunin sensei slyly as if to imply he was okay with anything Iruka did to him. Iruka gulped nervously. Did Kakashi even know the way that he looked?

“I like you, Iruka. Don’t avoid me, it hurts my heart.” There was an unknown juxtaposition beneath Kakashi’s words. Iruka could avoid him if he wanted to. It only fueled the thrill of the hunt for Kakashi deep down inside.

Iruka could play hard to get as long as he wanted. Kakashi would inevitably erase the people who surrounded Iruka out of his life until he only had Kakashi to rely on. Still, that was his worst-case scenario. He didn’t want to isolate Iruka, yet at least. Kakashi wanted to make the brunette happy, but he would ultimately make the brunette his regardless.

Kakashi nuzzled into Iruka’s warm hand; that kindness was his and only his. Iruka’s mouth fell open slightly as his brain struggled to catch up with his racing heart. Iruka quickly pulled his hand away, “I-is this a j-joke? It’s not funny!” Kakashi's eye narrowed, and his grip on Iruka’s waist tightened.

“No, Iruka, it’s not a joke. I’m serious, I like you. Unbearably so, to the point it's hard to define,” Kakashi said firmly. With a tone and look on his face that was hard for even Iruka to deny. Iruka had rarely seen Kakashi take things seriously.

 If it had all been part of a cruel joke, Iruka’s heart wouldn’t have been able to take it. Iruka nibbled on his lip and nodded softly. He accepted Kakashi’s words as truth. Still, he didn’t know where to go from there. What changed now that they admitted to themselves that their feelings were mutual?

“I need time to think about this.” Iruka pulled Kakashi’s hands away from his hips, and begrudgingly, Kakashi relented. Then, a moment later, Iruka took off running in the direction of his home. Kakashi sighed as he pulled his mask back up. Ah, he decided to run away, huh?

Kakashi looked back up at the rustling blossoms, reflecting on his actions a bit. If it had been a scene from his Icha Icha Paradise books, they would have ended the evening all up on each other. Where did he go wrong? Was seducing a man really that different from seducing a woman? Kakashi rolled his eyes, he would simply have to keep trying.

Kakashi went home that evening expecting to be able to hash things out with Iruka the following day. Except that later throughout the week, every time he attempted to try to confront the brunette, Iruka’s whole body would flush red before he took off running in the opposite direction. Honestly, it was pretty cute the way Iruka was avoiding him. The way Iruka’s tanned skin quickly tinted pink every time they locked eyes was adorable. He wanted to make Iruka’s skin turn all sorts of different shades of red that he could.

Kakashi reigned in his amusement, though. If Iruka knew Kakashi enjoyed the way Iruka was desperately trying to avoid him, it would only further infuriate the fiery-headed man. Iruka was predictable. If Kakashi truly wanted to prevent him from running away, he could have simply planted a clone in the direction he could predict Iruka would run. Kakashi tapped his foot and put his hands in his pockets as he watched Iruka run away from him for the third time that week.

As much as it amused him, he did eventually want Iruka to stop running away. What could he do in the meantime? Kakashi allowed his feet to take him towards the mission's office, which happened to be where Iruka ran away. A mission would help clear his head and figure out his next steps. That was what would be best for now.

 Kakashi didn’t want to pressure Iruka into accepting his feelings, for now at least. Ironically, as he stood in front of the Third Hokage, who handed him a mission with a bemused expression on his old face. Iruka was doing his best not to look towards him as he sat next to the Third Hokage. Iruka winced as he heard the two men discussing the A-rank mission the Third Hokage assigned the silver-haired jounin. Iruka fiddled with his fingers, an A-rank mission, all by himself?

Iruka sneakily glanced up at Kakashi out of worry, as most A-rank missions were usually joint missions. Kakashi smiled as he finally locked eyes with those precious obsidian eyes he’d been yearning for. He waved the mission scroll towards Iruka, smirking as he lightly kissed the back of the scroll. Iruka tightly gripped his pants in his hands and turned his face away in shock. That fucker!

The Third Hokage laughed heartily as he exhaled smoke from his pipe. The Third Hokage waved the bratty former ANBU off, “Give him a break, be safe on your mission.” Kakashi bowed before the Third Hokage before he silently exited the room. It was only after Iruka heard the door close that he felt as though he could breathe again. Fortunately, the Third Hokage did not pry further.

Iruka looked down at his desk, wondering how long Kakashi would be absent on his mission. He had avoided him every time he saw him. That didn’t mean he hated the silver-haired jounin. Iruka just didn’t know how to function properly in front of the seductive man. Iruka scratched the back of his head in frustration. Whatever, he now had some time to figure it out.

Kakashi made his way to the outskirts of the village, where he patiently waited for his target to arrive. It took several hours before he saw Tenzo’s masked face walking towards the gate. It took him even less time for him to hold a kunai against his dear kouhai’s throat. Tenzo tensed at the dagger to his throat and stilled his body before it nicked him further. He held his hands up immediately in surrender, “Good evening, s-senpai.”

“Ah, I’ve been waiting to see you, my precious kouhai. I simply wanted to make sure we’re on the same page.” Tenzo closed his eyes behind his mask. What, that you’re a scheming bastard? Tenzo nodded his head, and he gulped against the distinctive feeling of the metal kunai pressing against his throat.

“My loyalty is with you, as always, senpai.” Kakashi hummed softly, “Is it? It’s come to my attention that my dear kouhai was getting too involved with things he didn’t need to be.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Knowing you, they must already be dead,” Tenzo laughed nervously. He thought he had done a good job avoiding that monster, only to get a kunai to his throat the second he returned to the village. Kakashi chuckled softly before he removed the kunai from Tenzo’s neck. Kakashi put an arm around Tenzo’s shoulder, pulling him closer.

“Well, you’re right. That is what happens when people talk about things they don’t have any business knowing about.” Tenzo rolled his eyes. Yes, it was ANBU 101 to take care of any loose ends. Sensing he was out of danger so long as he continued to keep his mouth shut, Tenzo shrugged off his senpai’s arm.

That arm was actually more of a threat than a comfort. There was no telling when Kakashi’s switch could be flipped and that arm would tighten against his throat, leaving him gasping for air. Tenzo didn’t care what kind of man his senpai was personally; if he was a bastard, he would get whatever karma was coming to him. The two of them had been through enough shit that Tenzo would still blindly follow his senpai to the end. It was something they had accepted as ANBU comrades.

“What are you doing out here, senpai?” Kakashi shrugged and held up a mission scroll of his own. Tenzo furrowed his brows. There was no reason for his senpai to be as active as he had been recently. Well, his senpai was currently a squad leader without a squad, so he might have some time on his hands.

“Hm, you know what they say. Distance makes the heart grow fonder,” Kakashi said as he pocketed the scroll. Hopefully, by the time he returned, Iruka would be ready to face things with him. If not, he needed to come up with backup plans on how to win over Iruka. Tenzo sighed, that psycho.

Notes:

You guys really showed up last chapter, OMG! I also fuck with the Sukea Arc haha. This chapter delves deeper into Yandere Kakashi's feelings. While the two may have differing definitions of what love truly is, the intensity of Kakashi's feelings is no joke. Iruka baby is NOT getting away haha. However, I will say Kakashi is not truly the black flag he might think he is. More of a yellow/red flag to others while only being a green flag toward Iruka in the end. I apologize about the delay in posting, I started a new job that has been taking up the bulk of my previous writing time. I am so close to my personal goal of getting this fic up to 1000 kudos, I am in shock! Thank you to all of my readers who have been with me on this journey. I appreciate ALL of your reviews, kudos, bookmarks, and subs! We finally got our first kiss, only 60K words in LOL.

Chapter 22

Kakashi glanced down at his mission scroll before he quickly rolled it up and put it back in his pocket. It was a cruel joke of fate for him to have to invade the Land of Water covertly. It was only several months prior that he had visited the Hidden Mist Village with Iruka on a diplomatic venture that hadn’t ended well. Yet as fate would have it, he was once more on the outskirts of the Hidden Mist Village.

Tasked with retrieving a stolen artifact that was lost during the Great Ninja War, Kakashi had already changed his appearance so as not to catch any attention. It had been two weeks since he entered the outskirts of the Land of Water and began his reconnaissance of the area. Dressed in a plain gray yukata with a black checkered obi, he stood at the sandy shore of the sub-island he was currently staying on. His black hair was styled in a loose top ponytail to reveal his purple signature markings. Kakashi watched the waves gently ebb back and forth against the sand, listlessly staring at his reflection. 

The truth was, he had already stolen the artifact back in his first week. It wasn’t as if the Hidden Mist Village was doing a superb job at hiding it. Disguised as a traveling fisherman, Isao, he had infiltrated the villages on the sub-island. After that, he had been able to locate the temples on each island easily and was able to find the Hidden Veil Mirror, the artifact that he had come for. An artifact that was supposedly able to seal a Jinchuriki inside its spatial realm.

Kakashi sent Pakkun back to the mainland with the mirror, who stashed it at one of the hidden outposts on the border he had built over the years. Kakashi inhaled as he flicked his arm back to cast the line he had expertly connected to his bamboo pole. His makeshift bauble hit the water with a small plop. He rocked back and forth slightly on his heels; his problem was deciding when to return home.

It had been about two and a half weeks in total, including his travel time. How long should he continue keeping up this farce? What length of time would make Iruka think about him most? If he went back too early, he maintained his reputation, but that wouldn’t make Iruka honest with his feelings. The longer the better.

What then was too long? A year felt too long, and a ninja of his status being gone that long would be pronounced killed in action. For the average ninja, it was expected that A-rank missions and above could require them to be gone for at least a quarter of the year. Kakashi had almost always completed his missions within a one-month time frame. Especially recently, he hadn’t wanted to be gone from Iruka longer than a month if he could help it.

Which meant he needed to take even longer than he usually did to complete the mission. Kakashi wanted to clear his head and give Iruka the space he needed. Rushing back might also pressure Iruka to make a decision he wasn’t ready for. However, the truth of it was that he wanted Iruka to miss him. To think of him and worry about him, because then he would be in Iruka’s mind.

The more he thought about Kakashi, the better. The thought of Iruka, wrought with worry, lip nibbled raw out of concern, turned him on. Kakashi smirked softly, Iruka was always a pretty picture. The problem was that he was already bored. He was growing tired of the fisherman ruse and his vacation in the Land of Water.

Kakashi had already secured a boat to travel back to the mainland. He had his outpost on the border where Pakkun had stashed the mirror. The only problem was that his outpost was nothing but a shack. In comparison, Isao was able to find room and board in the local Oiran house due to his handsome appearance. The Madam of the House stated that he would bring in more customers.

 As such, he had been able to gather information quickly from the infatuated women. Kakashi frowned, other people were always way more receptive to his charms than Iruka. He had been flaunted around a bit by the madam and, as such, had been able to sit in on several private conversations of the upper echelons of society. Isao had adapted to Mist ways quickly and was even gifted his current outfit, which was why he was an overdressed fisherman. Not offering any services beyond his company only made him more enigmatic.

An allure that both the men and the women in town couldn’t get enough of. All it took was showing his face. Kakashi scrunched his brows. Was that the key? Showing his face more? He had already been opening up to Iruka on that end.

Going maskless had its benefits and its downsides. Kakashi attracted even more attention than average because of his looks, which could sometimes assist him in his goals. However, more often than not, he found it difficult to show his face to others, not in disguise. The oiran’s treated him well and provided him with decent coverage as he stayed on the sub-island. They were all intrigued by his mysterious allure, even though he never once requested their services.

It was just that the one person Kakashi wanted to notice him seemed set on keeping a wall up between them. Well, walls could be broken easily enough. It didn’t take much more than a kiss to have the brunette squirming uncomfortably in his lap. Kakashi licked his lips. It was a shame Iruka had run away.

Any longer and Kakashi would have eaten him for dinner. Figuratively and literally. Despite knowing Iruka would most likely run away, it left him perplexed. Generally, the moment Kakashi hinted towards interest of any sort, women were ready to jump into bed with him.  Still, those experiences were from situations he had been undercover, and they were his targets. But he had never not gotten anyone he actively pursued.

The rejection stung more than he’d like to admit. It kept him up at night, wondering how he needed to do things differently. How he needed to change to fit Iruka’s ideal so that he could catch his attention even more. Did Iruka prefer that kind of man who took things slower? Probably. Kakashi pursed his lips; it would be hard to take things even slower.

The silver-haired jounin clacked his geta against the ground. He should have chosen something other than fishing. Kakashi wasn’t patient enough to stand at the shore all day fishing. Occasionally, he would take the rowboat he stole out to sea, but that was a chore in of itself. It was a chore to keep his clothes clean, but he knew that the ladies of the house were overly eager to see him without a clean set of clothes.

“Isao-kun!” The raven-haired man with green eyes turned to look over his shoulder. A young oiran waved at him from the end of the dock. She was dressed in a multilayered ensemble of deep crimson and midnight plum, embroidered with the finest golden chrysanthemums and delicate cranes in mid-flight. Her geta clacked softly against the wooden dock as she approached the shore where Isao stood. She smiled genuinely once she noticed Isao’s attention on her.

The young oiran picked up her pace slightly, soft bells chiming as she walked that dangled from a golden hairpin slightly above her shoulder. Her hair was expertly pinned back with gleaming kanzashi of tortoise shell and gold, which made her hair form a jeweled halo. She waved at him excitedly once she reached the docks. Her beautifully painted porcelain face lit up at the handsome fisherman who had recently been staying with them. Isao smiled back at her and waved with his free hand, “Ah, good afternoon, Hanakoto-san!”

Hanakoto was the top oiran at the Hana flower house, where they both had been residing. A young lady of twenty, she had made a name for herself as the most charming woman in town. Yet, of all people, she had been unable to catch the fisherman’s fancy. Isao treated her with general indifference compared to the hundreds of men who threw themselves at her feet. She supposed that when they looked the way they did, one could afford to be selective in who they spent their company with.

Hanakoto had fallen for Isao at first sight when the Madam of the House had brought the mysterious man back. She could tell that under his initial scruffy appearance, he was a true diamond in the rough. Which she was right about. The moment she saw Isao washed and clean, wearing proper clothes, she felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest. Which was insane, as the top oiran in the district, she rarely got nervous in front of another.

“I just happened to be in the area, you see.” Hanakoto fanned her elegant plum and gold-lined fan in front of her face, yet Isao knew that look in her eyes. Isao looked over his shoulder towards the road; she was unaccompanied. He sighed as he dropped his rod, “May I accompany you back to the house, my lady? These streets are too dangerous for a lady like yourself to be alone.”

Hanakoto chuckled softly behind her fan as she nodded her head. Isao skipped a rock into the water as Hanakoto quietly made her way back towards the beginning of the dock. She had been playing this game with him for the last two weeks. If only Iruka were this bold sometimes. Hanakoto smiled, even though the fisherman always seemed a bit miffed, he never failed to walk her back.

Isao slowly made his way to meet her at the edge of the dock, which turned into a cobblestone road. Geta shoes did not mix well with the wet sand. Yet here he was being spoiled by the top oiran of the district, and he hadn’t even asked for it. Hanakoto had all but shoved the outfit in his arms before forcing him into the bathroom on his first day. Since then, she had gone out of her way to meet him unaccompanied, which forced him to associate with her.

Hanakoto was highly instrumental in introducing him to the people who had told him about the lore behind the mirror and the temple that protected it. That he could not deny. It benefited him to treat her well, even though he knew her interest lay elsewhere. Isao lightly dusted some of the sand off himself before he offered his arm to guide the younger lady. Hanakoto eagerly let onto his arm as she continued to hold the fan in front of her mouth to hide the ever-growing pink hue of her skin underneath her porcelain makeup.

Isao could tell by how red her neck was that the young oiran was flustered. He turned his attention in front of him, his lazy eyes boredly scanning his surroundings for potential enemies. Somehow, Hanakoto always managed to find a brief moment of freedom and make her way to him, even though he rarely spoke a word to her during the duration of their walk. Isao hummed softly to himself, eyes widening slightly as he came up with an ingenious idea.

“Hanakoto-san, what would you do if someone you knew liked you back, but didn’t want to admit they liked you?”

She tilts her head ever so slightly, the golden kanzashi in her hair catching the flicker of afternoon daylight. Her eyes, dark, unreadable pools, rest on Isao’s as a faint smile curves her painted lips. When she speaks, her voice is soft, melodic, but laced with something older than innocence. Isao could admit that she was indeed a beautiful courtesan who was worthy of her title. Her beauty and her grace were noticeable even to him, except that it was her eyes that reminded him of someone else back home that caught his attention.

"A kiss without a confession is like incense in the wind, sweet for a moment, then gone without a trace. If they carry such feelings in silence, it is not love they fear, it is the weight of truth.” Her gaze lingers a breath longer, a trace of something knowing behind it, "The heart will always betray the mouth. Sooner or later, the truth slips through the smallest cracks like moonlight through shoji paper." Hanakoto leans in slightly, the scent of plum blossoms and sandalwood trailing with her.

"Tell me, are you asking for yourself, or them?" Isao grinned, “Hm, I wonder.” Hanakoto huffed softly behind her fan, clearly hoping that he would offer anything additional to the conversation. He didn’t. Kakashi needed to be patient; that was the key to getting Iruka to admit the truth he already knew.

…

It was towards the end of his second month that Isao began preparing to leave the small sub-island. When he did, he left in the quiet of the night in his stolen rowboat when the mist was thickest. Isao had no interest in being present for the broken hearts club. He had done some good work fixing up the house in exchange for room and board. They hadn’t even tried to pimp him. Well, if they tried to drug him, it didn’t work.

Isao generally prepared his food separately from the others, primarily consuming the fish he caught, and eating by a fire. The only thing he drank was the sake they offered. Even then, he had resistance to most drugs and poisons after all his years in the ANBU. Isao rowed the boat through the mist, and it took him about an hour across the strip to arrive at the border of his homeland. Which was when he encountered the three-person group of what appeared to be mist chunin ninjas standing in a small triangle, hurriedly discussing something amongst themselves.

Kakashi looked at them disinterestedly as he tied his boat to the dock. He stepped into the sand, cracking his neck and his shoulders from their stiffness after rowing. Kakashi was preparing for the inevitable battle that was about to happen, and he only had a limited number of weapons on his person. Still, they were only chunin; it wouldn’t be that difficult. He was back in the Land of Fire, and he could use his skills to their fullest.

“You there, we are apprehending your boat!” Kakashi looked back at the boat he had stolen previously. Odd for a boat to be twice stolen. He smirked as he shrugged, “I don’t really need it anymore anyway.” They looked at each other, confused by his reaction to his boat being commandeered.

“Are you serious?” Kakashi huffed, more annoyed than anything, “Of course not, assholes. I need my boat to get back.” That was a lie, but he had another ingenious idea. Dressed as a civilian, getting surrounded by a group of enemy mist ninjas.

What if he got hurt? Kakashi was used to pain. He had long since copied several of Tsunade’s healing abilities. But what if he didn’t heal himself? Would Iruka lovingly take care of him again?

Which was exactly why he purposely provoked them into attacking him. Kakashi took a couple of punches to his gut and his face. He also managed to cause some surface-based kunai wounds. If he let them scar over on purpose, Iruka would remember them forever.  Kakashi clicked his tongue as one of them stepped on his arm and broke it.

That was when he decided it was enough. They were about to go for the kill next. He grabbed a scroll out of his kimono and poured his chakra into it. Their screams filled the air as their bodies were ripped apart by his Hounds. The mist ninjas gargled in pain, their cries dying shortly after.

Kakashi had trained his hounds to go for the throat. Though they would, Pakkun looked at him unamused after the threat had been cleared. The wrinkled dog shook his head, “You look like shit, kid.” Kakashi grinned, a dangerous glint in his eyes causing Pakkun to flinch softly.

Pakkun furrowed his brows and put a paw on Kakashi’s knee. He eyed Kakashi cautiously, “You’re not even chakra depleted, why are you so beat up like this?”

“Ah, I’ll worry about that. I need you to focus on getting the mirror and meeting me back at Konoha’s gates. I think I’m just hurt enough for a hospital stay.” Pakkun’s mouth fell open in shock; the brat could easily heal himself with injuries of this level.  Except that very few people actually knew that.

It was Kakashi’s hidden secret to his lengthy survival in the ANBU forces. Many ANBU who were saved by Hound assumed it was a high possibility of how they managed to survive despite their injuries. Kakashi would make sure they owed him whenever he went out of his way to heal them without anyone knowing. Which was how he had been able to collect as many unique items as possible from nearly all the ninja clans in Konoha. They simply offered them to him because they knew they owed him their life.

Kakashi stumbled softly as he stood up, and he chuckled to himself. He hadn’t even noticed his broken ankle. Pakkun looked at him nervously, cautiously leaning away from the young bastard. He shook his head in disapproval before he disappeared in a quick puff, he had received his orders. The rest of the pack also disappeared, so he could conserve his chakra. Kakashi rolled his eyes; a judgmental pug was the least of his worries.

 He popped a soldier pill into his mouth to give him a stamina boost. Kakashi quickly rinsed his face of the makeup he had used to disguise himself. He wasn’t quite ready to admit that to Iruka yet. His hair would be dyed for about another two weeks before it was fully washed out. It always left him with a smoky gray ash look for a while if he ever dyed his hair black.

Maybe Iruka would like it. Maybe he liked the tall, dark, and handsome appeal. Kakashi inhaled quickly as he put his hands together and disappeared in a puff himself. His teleportation jutsu got him about halfway home. Kakashi managed to push through the pain and meet with Pakkun about a mile from the Konoha gates.

“Eugh, you look even worse, brat.” Pakkun didn’t bother to hide his disgust as he looked at the young buck betting on the pity card. Knowing the person the boy was using it on, it would probably work too. Kakashi smacked Pakkun’s bottom lightly, not enough to hurt, as he grabbed the mirror from the pug's pack and his ninja uniform that Pakkun had brought back. Unbeknownst to many, Pakkun was a dog who liked his butt being smacked.

Kakashi smirked as the wrinkled dog looked at him in shock, “Enough of that, Pakkun. It's time for you to go home.” He disappeared into a puff of white smoke, having completed his mission. Kakashi twisted the mirror in his good hand. All that for a stupid mirror.

Still, he had made it home, strategically, scathed. The silver-haired jounin didn’t bother to change, but he did put on his signature mask. Kakashi passed by the gates, blatantly limping in to catch the gatekeeper’s attention. He knew Iruka knew the two of them. Kakashi made sure to head to the hospital first, which is only something he ever did if he was incapacitated.

There were often many occasions when he was so chakra-depleted he couldn’t heal himself. Still, even at death's door, he often made sure he completed his mission first. Kakashi didn’t feel like doing that this time. That meant that he would have to visit the mission's office in his current condition. Which had gotten him a lot of attention the last time he did that.

Kakashi specifically only wanted Iruka’s attention on him. It didn’t matter to him how he got it, necessarily. After he was out of the eyesight of the gatekeepers who knew Iruka, Kakashi ended his wounded act. A broken arm and ankle were moderately light injuries for him, even the kunai wounds he had were surface-level. The only time he ever had injuries of the sort was when he was too chakra-depleted to heal himself.

Technically speaking, he was more than capable of still healing himself. Kakashi’s chakra was relatively low after the consecutive jutsu he utilized to get back to Konoha faster, but he wasn’t dangerously low. The silver-haired jounin sighed as he inhaled the signature scent of a sterile environment. He scratched the back of his head and sighed before he limped inside to begrudgingly receive treatment. Kakashi glanced at the clock on the hospital walls as the nurses surrounded the bloodied ninja who had just walked in.

Iruka should arrive within a couple of hours.

…

Iruka wanted to pull his hair out in frustration as he impatiently sat at the missions desk. It had been a grueling last two months, almost three, as he had desperately waited for the silver-haired jounin to return home. The first month, he could admit he needed. Iruka needed time to imagine a future with the jounin, and to conquer the trepidation he had been feeling about his sexuality. It was when the jounin didn’t return for several weeks past the expected date that he began to worry about Kakashi’s well-being truly.

Furthermore, everyone dismissed his concerns about Kakashi's delayed return. Iruka had tried to tell the Third Hokage that something had gone terribly wrong with Kakashi’s mission, and the old man laughed in his face. The ninja elder inhaled on his pipe and told him that, on average, it was expected for A-rank missions to take a quarter of the year. Iruka worriedly nibbled on his lip in anxiety. It wasn’t like Kakashi to take so long to complete a mission.

Iruka’s brow twitched in irritation as he tapped his foot underneath the desk. He had been on edge the entire month. Iruka couldn’t understand why everyone he attempted to talk to about the silver-haired jounin gave him the cold shoulder. They all smiled at him and brushed off his concerns like he was insane to bother worrying about the infamous copy ninja. Copy ninja or not, he was still a human who could get hurt.

In the ninja world, an injury could happen the moment they let their guard down. What if Kakashi thought he was safe and got attacked by enemy ninja anyway? He had been given a solo A-rank mission. Iruka could understand how most ninjas would take the full three months to complete the mission. What if his body lay dead in enemy territory and he never saw him again?

It bothered the chunin greatly the way he had left things off with Kakashi. It was all he could picture and dream about: Kakashi’s dead body left to rot in enemy territory. He regretted the way he left things off with Kakashi. He didn’t want the last memories that he had with the silver-haired jounin to be of him running away from his feelings for him. The only other person Iruka worried about in such a way was Naruto, and that’s because the young orphan was more like a son to him.

Kakashi was, well, he didn’t know how to define what Kakashi meant to him. A future lover? A soulmate? That might be going too far. Kakashi was special to him, and he could no longer deny it.

Iruka’s heart ached with a dull pain as he listlessly waited for news of the silver-haired jounin's arrival. It distracted him from pretty much everything. His work performance had been impacted when all he could think about was Kakashi’s return. Iruka never missed a chance to pick up a shift at the mission's office in hopes that he might hear any news regarding the silver-haired jounin. Iruka flinched slightly when a jounin put his mission scroll in front of him.            

Genma lazily flicked the senbon in his mouth to the other side, “Trouble in paradise, huh?” Iruka raised a brow at him as he unrolled the scroll in front of him. Ever since Kakashi had covered for him, almost all of the jounin’s mission reports drastically improved. Iruka reviewed the report, waiting for Genma to elaborate on what he meant. The senbon user rocked nervously back and forth on his feet, “You know, I never expected that monster could get hurt on an A-rank. It's very unlike him.”

The scroll crinkled in Iruka’s hands as he death gripped the report and looked up at Genma in shock, “Wait, he’s back?” Genma flinched awkwardly, “Ah, you didn’t know?” The third Hokage’s eyes narrowed as he listened in on the conversation. Genma flipped the senbon back and forth in his mouth, “I guess he encountered some jounin-level ninja on the border. He got roughed up pretty badly for someone of his caliber.”

Iruka stood up out of his seat, his hands slamming the forgotten scroll onto the damn desk below. His mouth fell open, but he floundered on what to say in response. Iruka turned his attention to the Third Hokage, who closed his eyes as he inhaled from his signature pipe. The moment he waved him off, Iruka was out of the mission's office with a speed most ninjas didn’t expect from him. Genma whistled and stuck his hands in his pockets as he watched the chunin run after that monster.

Genma was surprised that Kakashi hadn’t made a scene in the mission's office again. He turned his attention to the old man and pointed at his discarded scroll, “Hey, Iruka-chan didn’t say anything about the report, am I good to go?” The Third Hokage rolled his eyes, “You should fill in for him since he’s gone.” Genma’s grin fell as he realized the Third Hokage was serious. He groaned as he begrudgingly took his spot where Iruka had previously been sitting.

Iruka was a saint amongst the ninja because the tediousness of reviewing and organizing the mission reports was something that the majority of the ninja simply didn’t want to do. Iruka volunteered to do it so regularly that it was a genuine surprise when someone other than Iruka was sitting next to the Third Hokage. Genma tapped his hand on the desk; he should’ve kept his fat mouth shut. Now, he was stuck filling in for the chunin brunette as he went to lovingly check on that demon. Genma shook his head, Iruka was too good for that demon.

…       

“Senpai, what are you doing here?” Yamato stood at the end of the hospital bed where Kakashi was currently lying. Kakashi glanced up at him disinterestedly, his face concealed by the white hospital sheet, “Hm, waiting, I suppose.” The ANBU sighed heavily behind his mask. He was one of the few who had seen Kakashi’s healing abilities firsthand.

At first, he had been worried about his senpai, that is, until he arrived at the hospital. When Yamato arrived at the hospital where Kakashi was, he was shocked that Kakashi wasn’t entirely chakra-depleted. Sure, Kakashi’s chakra was low. Except it was not low enough that he couldn’t heal himself of his injuries. There was no reason for his senpai to be patched up in an arm and leg cast while he was in a hospital bed.

The door to the room slammed open as a panting chunin bent over to catch his breath, “K-Kakashi-san!” The ANBU glanced at the panicked chunin who hurriedly rushed to Kakashi’s bedside. Yamato gave Kakashi a disgusted look behind his ANBU mask, which earned him a piercing glare from Kakashi before his eyes softened as his attention fell onto the chunin. Yamato gulped as he remembered the sharpened kunai at his throat before Kakashi had left on his mission. The ANBU put a hand on Iruka’s shoulder, “Hey, if senpai ever threatens you, let me know.”

Iruka looked at him, his brows furrowing in confusion, “Ah, um, thanks.” Kakashi clicked his tongue in disapproval at Yamato’s bold move. The ANBU removed his hand quickly as if he had been burned by a hot pan. He was one of the few people who knew what was truly going on behind the scenes. Yamato closed his eyes, resigning himself to the fact that he would be killed if he said anything more.

“Ignore him, Iruka-san. He’s just a brat.” Iruka nodded quickly, awkwardly shifting next to the bed as he cautiously looked up at the familiar ANBU. Yamato squinted at Kakashi lying in the bed in shock. Once again, everything was going the way Kakashi wanted it to.

“Get better soon, senpai.” With that, Yamato exited the room via the window. If he stayed any longer, with that psychopath, it was bound to rub off on him. Maybe it already had. Yamato had been following his senpai closely for at least the last five years.

On one hand, he felt pity for Iruka’s unfortunate fate of being tied down by such a manipulative man. On the other hand, he felt a sick sense of pride that his senpai had been right. The way Iruka rushed immediately to the hospital room was proof of that enough. Yamato sighed. Oh well. There was only so much he could do without getting himself killed in the process.

Iruka felt the tears welling in his eyes as he took in Kakashi’s injured body. His broken arm and leg had already been wrapped in a cast. The brunette’s lip quivered slightly as he took in Kakashi’s bandaged chest; the crushing reality that he almost lost him dawned on him. Kakashi looked into those beautiful, teary obsidian eyes, and a jolt of desire shot straight to his groin. He cleared his throat; it wouldn’t do him any good to go down that route.

Kakashi hadn’t expected Iruka to cry. Honestly, he expected Iruka to chastise him about his injuries as he had done before and lovingly help him change his wrappings. He did feel bad about the way Iruka reacted this time around, even if it did turn him on. Perhaps the broken bones were a hair too far. The broken ankle had been accidental; he hadn’t even realized it had happened after the adrenaline filled his body.

Still, he probably should have left it at the kunai wounds. But then that wouldn’t have gotten him hospitalized. Kakashi wasn’t one to usually inflate his story, but no one would have believed him if he told them he was attacked by chunin ninjas and ended up the way he did. He had sparred with the majority of the ANBU in the village, and they knew his skills firsthand. Which was why Yamato had acted the way he did when he had visited.

Still, the brat cared even if he didn’t bother to show it. Yamato had visited the hospital at the first word that his senpai had been badly injured. He might’ve taught the brat nearly everything he knew, but he did not teach his kouhai everything that he knew. However, Yamato was unamused at the way Kakashi had been behaving as of late. The silver-haired jounin didn’t care; he wasn’t actively seeking his kouhai’s approval.

Iruka sniffled softly as he wiped his face with his sleeve in an attempt to hide his face, “Damnit, what the hell happened?” Kakashi felt his heart ache as he watched the tears falling down the brunette’s tanned chin. Would Iruka cry like this if he had died? It made him feel good to think that someone would cry at his funeral. More people would be relieved if he died, excited that they could cross his name off in their bingo book.

“Maa~ Iruka-sensei, it’s not that big of a deal.” Which wasn’t a lie. Kakashi didn’t even need the casts he was wearing. If they bothered him, he could always get rid of them. The healing skill he had copied was directly from Tsunade herself.

 Iruka lightly touched the arm covered in the pink cast, “Not a big deal? Look at you!”  Kakashi groaned as he sat up, the sheet falling off his face. Iruka’s brows furrowed, Kakashi’s cheek was deeply bruised, and his lip had a sharp cut where it had split open. They must have been very formidable jounin to put Kakashi in such a state.

“It was an ambush, Iruka-sensei. They attacked me the moment I got back to the mainland. Don’t worry, the pack took care of them.” Iruka’s shoulders fell, and he sat on the bed next to Kakashi. He was slightly relieved that Kakashi’s pack had managed to assist him against the jounin ninjas.

Iruka inhaled deeply to calm himself; he needed to be objective about the current situation. Kakashi had injured his hand and his foot in the process. There simply was no way the bumbling jounin would be able to properly take care of himself. Iruka picked at his hands for a minute before he turned his attention to the smoky-haired jounin with the bruised face, “Hey, do you want to stay at my place while you recover? I can help you get around and stuff.”

 Iruka had never felt embarrassed before when he offered, except now it felt like it had an additional meaning beneath it. Kakashi’s face brightened as he raised his brows, and Iruka knew he wouldn’t regret his decision. He nodded back at the injured man; he was done running away. Kakashi gripped the sheets below him tightly. This was an unexpected outcome.

Kakashi had entirely expected, at best, for Iruka to occasionally visit him. Maybe cook him a meal or two during the week. He had not expected Iruka to invite him back into his home for the duration of his recovery period. Kakashi pursed his lips as he turned the anxious brunette’s chin towards him to look into his eyes, “Do you know what that means?” Iruka gulped as he avoided that piercing look that made his stomach flip-flop.

“O-of course, I’m a grown man!” Kakashi chuckled softly, and the sound of that lighthearted reverberation made Iruka’s heart thump loudly in his chest. His face turned crimson as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment,” Are you going to stay or not? This is a one-time offer.” A sly smile crossed the smoky-haired man’s face as he held the back of Iruka’s hand and kissed it, “Of course, I’m much obliged.”

Notes:

Hello my lovelies! I am excited to announce the release of my latest KakaIru fic, Chaos Calls You Mine. If you have been enjoying this yandere version of Kakashi, I think you will enjoy my latest fic. Set in the modern world, the two will navigate being forced to rely on each other in the most intimate ways. Please feel free to give that a read and let me know what you think. As always, if you've made it this far, you are a true OG. Thank you all for your lovely feedback, kudos, bookmarks, and subs!

Chapter 23

True to his words, Iruka assisted Kakashi with everything he needed. Iruka even settled the discharge paperwork for him. He also advocated for Kakashi to get a knee walker, so he had more ease of access getting around. Kakashi loved to watch Iruka get that passionate, fired-up look in his eyes. It didn’t take long before he was discharged and on his way back to Iruka’s house. Iruka’s nose crinkled at the sheer amount of perfume that emanated from Kakashi now that he was back in the bloodied gray yukata.

The brunette decided that he didn’t want to know. Whatever Kakashi did before he actually gave him a response was his business. Iruka lied to himself and told himself that the source of the perfume must have been because he had saved a young lady. It didn’t sit right with him, but they were ninjas. Based on Kakashi’s faded dyed hair and the fact that Kakashi had been walking around without a mask, he had just completed another undercover mission.

Infiltration was often one of the most difficult parts of undercover missions. Plus, it wasn’t as if a ninja could afford to be picky if there was good cover available. Kakashi hadn’t done anything for Iruka to be distrustful of the silver-haired jounin already. Kakashi observed Iruka carefully. He could tell exactly what was on Iruka’s mind.

Maybe it was due to how long he temporarily stayed in the oiran house, but he had gotten used to the pungent smells of the makeup and perfumes they used. As a result, he had been temporarily nose blind to exactly how strong the perfumes they used actually were. It was immediately noticeable even to him when he had put back on the clothes he arrived in. Which meant there was no doubt Iruka knew. Kakashi didn’t bother to explain the source; no matter how he phrased it, it would only sound like an excuse.

Instead, he chose to silently follow Iruka as he learned how to navigate with a knee walker. Iruka did a quick convenience store run to replenish the essentials while on their way back. The brunette parked the injured man in the corner of the store, and Kakashi waited for him until he was done getting supplies. Surprisingly, the supply haul seemed to increase Iruka’s mood as he confidently held up the grocery bag to Kakashi. Kakashi cocked his head as he looked at the plastic bag, unsure of why he needed to be excited.

Iruka smiled brightly as he rummaged through the contents, “Look, they had my favorite brand of strawberry mochi!” The brunette passed the mochi to Kakashi to hold as he continued to rummage through the contents of the bag. Iruka pulled out several prepackaged waterproof cast covers and fanned them before the silver-haired jounin. Kakashi looked at Iruka, impressed that he managed to even find such a thing in a convenience store. He smiled softly at the chunin, who received the full force of Kakashi’s smile without a mask.

Iruka’s mouth fell open slightly before a soft pink blush spread across his face. Whoa, that face is deadly. The brunette bashfully scratched at the scar on his nose as he looked down at his feet. Kakashi licked his lips as he watched Iruka’s reaction. Hanakoto had been right; all he needed to do was show his face more.

Iruka awkwardly cleared his throat as he put the cast covers back in the bag. He grabbed the mochi from Kakashi so that it wouldn’t get stolen again. In a bold move, Iruka took hold of one of Kakashi’s free hands and guided him outside the store. The chunin said nothing, but the tips of his ears turned red as he guided the injured man back to his apartment. Kakashi covered his face with his cast, mostly because even he knew to conceal the predatory leer that crossed his face as he looked at Iruka’s back while they walked.

Luckily, due to his own embarrassment, Iruka was too preoccupied to notice the way the jounin was looking at him. Iruka’s hand was warm. Much like the person himself. Kakashi craved the warmth and comfort. To think that something as simple as handholding was enjoyable with the right person.

Iruka never failed to surprise him. Kakashi held Iruka’s hand in his and held it up higher to kiss the back of it. The brunette froze, and he incredibly managed to turn an even deeper shade of red. It was the way those obsidian eyes glanced up at him, with their depthless pools, that left him transfixed in his spot.  Oh, how he missed those eyes and the way they looked at him.

Kakashi used their connected hands to put Iruka closer to him in an instant. Iruka stumbled a bit as he attempted to avoid colliding with Kakashi. The silver-haired jounin mentally cursed the cast on his hand and made a mental note that next time he needed to limit the injuries to stab wounds. Still, he wrapped his injured arm around Iruka’s waist, holding him closely. Kakashi cupped Iruka’s face with his hand and connected their lips in a deep, passionate kiss.

This time, Kakashi didn’t care who saw them. He quickly deepened the kiss and slid his tongue inside Iruka’s mouth. Iruka was weak to kissing, so he found. The brunette especially liked it when Kakashi grazed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. It was the sound of the plastic bag colliding against the asphalt that caused Kakashi to finally break the kiss.

For the first time, Kakashi wasn’t sure if he’d be able to hold back. The wrecked look on Iruka’s face after a single kiss sent a jolt straight to his very eager cock. Kakashi pulled Iruka into a hug and held him tightly.

“I’m sorry, I’ll go slow. It just seemed right.” Being so close to the silver-haired jounin, Iruka could hear how fast his heart was thumping in his chest. He leaned into that feeling and leaned against the jounin as he hugged the other back. Iruka cleared his throat, “Ahem, it wasn’t as if I hated it or anything.”

Kakashi raised a brow at that. Did that mean he could do it again? Iruka brushed a stray strand of hair behind his ear as he put some distance between them, “L-later.” It was honestly impressive for someone to look so innocent yet so seductive at the same time. They were close to the chunin’s apartment.

Kakashi nodded. The question was how far they could go? Kakashi was more than ready to rock Iruka’s world. However, they hadn’t even established what their relationship truly meant. They seemed like they were more than friends with benefits.

To Kakashi’s knowledge, they were dating now, right? Why else would Iruka nurse him back to wellness? No, Iruka was the type to nurse someone else simply out of the kindness of his own heart. If they were dating, then how soon was too soon? They had been stuck in their cat-and-mouse game for a little over half a year.

Did that technically count? Kakashi shook his head to himself; he knew it didn’t. He knew that he couldn’t rush the teacher. Nor did he want to. Kakashi wanted to spoil and love Iruka in a way that only he could.

Iruka was one of the few individuals whom Kakashi truly meant no harm. Sure, maybe his methods of winning Iruka’s heart were a bit morally gray. In due time, Kakashi would come clean with it all. After, Iruka loved him too deeply to think of leaving him. At that point, he would come clean about his less-than-stellar methods of wooing the brunette.  

One can’t necessarily blame the player for playing the game even if he might have methodically rearranged some pieces. The smoky-haired jounin rolled quietly alongside Iruka as the two watched the setting sun while they made their way to Iruka’s apartment. Maybe he needed to take a cold shower with the wraps Iruka purchased. That way, Kakashi wasn’t so eager to take things to the next level. Kakashi recognized the fact that average relationships took time to gain intimacy with each other.

The only problem was that Kakashi wanted things to operate at that level, about three months ago, when he left. Suffice to say, he was horny. Incredibly so. More than anything, he wanted to blow his load with the brunette. Iruka scanned Kakashi’s bare face, before he cocked his head to the side, “Is everything okay? Are you still in pain?”

Kakashi’s uncovered eye widened slightly. He hadn’t thought that Iruka would interpret his apparent frustration in such a way. Gosh, it was truly everything about the brunette that made him feel in such a way. A soft, genuine smile crossed Kakashi’s rarely exposed face. Iruka flinched slightly as he once more received the full effect from that face.

Iruka didn’t know if his heart could handle it if Kakashi kept looking at him like that. Like he’s in love with me, Iruka thought internally. Well, maybe he is. Maybe I am. With the way the brunette knew both of their hearts were pounding in their chests, that was a high possibility.

To think that the man he’d found passed out on the street, who held a kunai to his throat the first time he met him, would then become someone he’d be so incredibly fond of. Furthermore, for it to be the same man who guided him on that one random day about Naruto. Fate had an incredible way of reuniting people who were destined to meet. Iruka blushed; he didn’t much believe in fate. The brunette wasn’t blind.

Knowing Kakashi, he had already bribed Sukea to rig the results of the matchmaker before Iruka even told the reporter about his feelings. Plus, there was that mole. The same mole. Coincidence? Iruka wasn’t that stupid.

Okay, Kakashi totally got him at first. Iruka was willing to admit that to himself. Seeing Kakashi with the smoky dark hair he had was similar enough to the elusive reporter that it half confirmed his suspicions. Still, the former ANBU was a damn professional. There were tons of alibis for Sukea that he investigated during Kakashi’s absence. Enough for anyone to believe that Sukea was real.

An alter identity perfectly crafted and sealed with the Fourth Hokage’s approval slathered all over it. They had to have their reasons, which was the only conclusion Iruka came to. He wasn’t entirely sure, though. Still, if Iruka was right, what a sacred thing for Kakashi to reveal of himself. Even Kakashi’s supposed long-time rival Guy didn’t notice a thing when Iruka inquired about Sukea.

For someone as secretive as Kakashi, it made perfect sense for him to also be in plain sight each time he revealed a secret about himself. It was almost poetic in a way. The brunette wasn’t entirely oblivious to the glaring red flags telling him not to get involved with the former ANBU; red just happened to be one of his favorite colors. Kakashi had been a professional killer for almost his entire life.  The way Kakashi survived each time, wrecking his body time and time again, was unimaginable for someone not worthy of Hokage-level status.

Iruka had seen firsthand the man in action. The fact that they survived the joint mission to the Mist village was a testament to Kakashi’s strength. Two men against some of the mist’s finest, actually surviving? Unheard of. Yet it was true.

Iruka didn’t know why the Third Hokage retired Kakashi from the ANBU only to continue sending him solo on high-ranked missions. The brunette’s heart ached as he saw the usual stairs to his apartment. The two stood there for a moment as they contemplated the trial of stairs. Iruka held his hand up to his face as he mapped out how he needed to maneuver the injured man to help him up the stairs. He would have to come back for the walker.

Kakashi looked blankly at the stairs. It was cute how thoroughly Iruka was trying to figure out the stair problem as the brunette quietly mumbled to himself, except that the stairs were a non-issue. His chakra levels weren’t depleted. Plus, injured or not, he could get to the upper level on his own. Kakashi pulled Iruka closer to him by the hand he was holding.

The brunette unconsciously moved to where he was guided, and Kakashi slid his arm around his waist as he held onto the walker with his injured hand. Luckily, Kakashi was skilled enough not to have to use hand signs with how often he used the teleportation jutsu. It was one of his favorite skills that he copied from a man before he killed him. Iruka blinked, and then they were at their destination. The brunette’s bottom lip puffed out slightly as he pouted at the injured man, “You’re not supposed to use your chakra when you’re recovering!”

Kakashi shrugged, “A bit hard to carry an injured person, no?” Iruka’s eye twitched, “I’ll have you know I carried you myself the first time!” The smoky-haired jounin nodded, “For which I’m very grateful.” Kakashi kissed the back of Iruka’s hand, “Hm, let’s just say I didn’t want you getting tired too early.” The sly smirk that crossed his face made sure that Iruka knew his intentions.

Iruka blushed, his brows scrunching together in his embarrassment as his mouth fell open, but he failed to come up with anything to say in response. He never realized how much the mask dulled the lethality of Kakashi’s facial expressions. Iruka shut his mouth as he clenched his jaw.  He gulped as he eyed his front door. Kakashi had been to his apartment many times before.

Yet now it felt different. Like I’m expecting to get laid. Kakashi waited patiently beside Iruka, entertained by the wide display of emotions that crossed Iruka’s face. The brunette was so animated and full of life compared to him. The smoky-haired jounin had gotten so distracted watching Iruka’s face that he failed to register when Iruka began talking to him as he became enchanted by those chocolate pools.

“Huh?” Iruka closed the distance between the two of them and put his hand on Kakashi’s forehead with a concerned look on his face, “I said you’re burning up.” The smoky-haired jounin cocked his head to the side. Was he? Iruka hurriedly fetched his keys and sprang into action at this newfound revelation.

The brunette ushered Kakashi into the house. Kakashi looked around the home lazily. He liked how full of life Iruka’s home always seemed to be. There was rarely a moment when his own place seemed so full of warmth. Quite the opposite, most people told Kakashi they couldn’t tell that anyone even lived there.

Kakashi didn’t necessarily feel bad. Not any more than what he was used to. If anything, he felt tired. His body seemed to unintentionally relax the moment he stepped inside Iruka’s safe haven. The exhaustion of having to be constantly aware of his surroundings finally caught up to him.

Regardless of how capable Kakashi was, it had still been a huge risk for him to stay in Mist territory for as long as he did. He was constantly on guard, waiting for the moment someone suspected him. Kakashi rolled over to the couch with his walker before he splayed his body across the couch. The smoky-haired jounin actually really wanted a shower, but his eyelids continued to grow heavier by the second. Internally, Kakashi blamed the drugs they had given him earlier at the hospital for the broken bones finally kicking in.

 It was rare for Kakashi’s body to give in on itself and force him to sleep.  Yet that’s exactly what happened as he succumbed to sleep shortly after his body hit that comfortable couch. Iruka huffed softly through his nose as he put his hands on his hips. Kakashi’s head lay propped up by his uninjured hand as the rest of his body remained sitting up straight.  The brunette knew that the jounin was far more burnt out than even he let on.

Of course, he would be, because at the end of the day, Kakashi was still human. Iruka scurried around his house for those fever patches that Kakashi had bought previously. The brunette slapped one of those on Kakashi’s forehead, slightly surprised that the jounin didn’t react. Iruka knew how sensitive the jounin was to being approached in his sleep. Emboldened by the lack of reaction, Iruka slowly maneuvered Kakashi into an actual resting position on the couch.

Honestly, if Kakashi hadn’t passed out on the couch, he probably would have let him use the bed. The couch wasn’t necessarily the best place for a man with Kakashi’s injuries. Iruka covered his boyfriend with a spare blanket before he retreated for the evening himself. Even though they were sleeping separately, Iruka couldn’t help the knots in his stomach. The brunette changed into an oversized gray t-shirt and a pair of loose blue plaid boxers that fell down his hips slightly.

Iruka typically preferred boxer briefs over boxers because the boxers tended to feel like too much fabric underneath his uniform. However, his current attire was more of a matter of him needing to do laundry more than anything. It didn’t really matter what he looked like while he was sleeping. Well, maybe it did now. Iruka nibbled at his bottom lip as his mind struggled to focus on anything else.

Would Kakashi prefer it if he dressed a bit sexier? Iruka rolled his eyes, the silver-haired jounin would have to deal with it. They were both ninjas who wore their issued uniforms just like all the other ninjas. Well, except for a few special characters who didn’t quite fit in the mold. However, there was a more pressing issue that Iruka struggled with.

Kakashi was a good kisser. Incredibly so, to the point it was irritating. Iruka refused to go down the rabbit hole as to why the jounin was so experienced. That was information that he didn’t necessarily need. The only thing was that, comparatively, Iruka was still a virgin.

It wasn’t that he had been waiting for someone special. Iruka simply kept himself busy in his spare time. Working almost two jobs on his own for many years and simultaneously assisting the rambunctious blond never left him much time for a relationship. Plus, things never progressed beyond pleasant greetings with anyone who had caught his eye. He never wanted to make anyone feel uncomfortable, so he tended never to say anything to those who stuck out to him.

As a result, it was not surprising he ended up as a twenty-two-year-old virgin. Surely, there was no way that Kakashi didn’t already know that about him. With how much Iruka had fumbled their previous kisses. The question was, was he ready to go further? His body certainly seemed to appreciate the way that Kakashi touched him.

Iruka blushed; it was a natural progression to the next step within their relationship. But when was too soon? Or would Kakashi grow frustrated with him and want to be with someone else? Iruka wouldn’t blame him even if he did. It wasn’t like he was particularly powerful or well-connected to people who were.

The brunette shook his head as he rolled onto his other side in the bed. Having negative thoughts like that before bed wouldn’t help him. It would only make him more self-conscious and paranoid if he continued. He forced his eyes closed as he decided not to dwell on such things. Iruka would simply go with the flow.

 Luckily, it was Friday, and he could sleep in a bit tomorrow. That was one of Iruka’s last thoughts as he fell into a deep slumber himself. Iruka jolted awake the next morning to the suspicious smell of his home burning down. Well, that was how he interpreted the burning smell that emanated from outside his room. Iruka threw the covers off him quickly before he ran across the room.

The brunette hastily made his way down his hallway to the source of the burning smell. Iruka covered his nose with his hand to block out the burnt smell as he walked into the kitchen. It was impossible not to notice the broad back muscles Kakashi had as he stood shirtless in the kitchen with only his grimy yukata wrapped around his waist as coverage. Iruka’s eyes traced across the jounin’s body where the muscles of Kakashi’s back all seemed to lead, down to that just as formidable ass. Iruka cleared his throat slightly to announce his presence, even though Kakashi was most likely aware of him since the moment he came barreling into the hallway.

Kakashi stared blankly at the pan of burnt eggs in front of him. The child prodigy and renowned genius of the Leaf Village failed at making scrambled eggs. The former ANBU finally turned his attention to Iruka before he sheepishly scratched at the back of his head. The small pink flush that spread across Kakashi’s face was permanently seared into Iruka’s brain. Kakashi chuckled nervously, “Well, you see, this didn’t quite turn out to plan.”

Iruka eyed the blackened eggs in the pan before he burst out laughing. The brunette clutched his stomach as his joyous giggles pierced through the concealed tension in the room. Iruka himself was not a particularly amazing cook, which was why he tended to eat out as often as he did. He knew enough that he could easily make the basics, and he only knew a handful of recipes that he kept on almost constant rotation. The brunette wiped a tear from the corner of his eye as he looked at the jounin, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh.”

No wonder the ANBU had wanted him to be Hound’s caretaker. Yet, despite Kakashi’s lack of skill, he had gone out of his way to attempt something new. That was admirable in itself. Iruka scooched up next to Kakashi, peeking into the pan, “Hm, this won’t do, we’ll need to get a new pan. Dump the contents into the trash, and soak that pan in water in the sink when you’re done.”

 While Kakashi followed Iruka’s instructions, Iruka went into his living room and opened the window to let out some of the burnt smell. He lit a candle that a student had gifted before he returned to the kitchen.  The brunette rummaged through his cabinets for another skillet. He hummed to himself lightly as he practically danced around the kitchen, gathering the ingredients to make breakfast. Iruka smiled brightly at Kakashi, “How do you like your eggs?”

“Scrambled,” Kakashi muttered softly, still embarrassed over his own ineptitude in the kitchen. Iruka huffed softly as he exhaled through his nose. He lifted his hands, gently cupping Kakashi’s face before he further messed up the smoky-haired man’s bedhead even more.  Kakashi looked at him in shock as he wiped his messy hair back with his hand. Iruka grinned at him, “So the great Kakashi isn’t perfect.”

Kakashi gritted his teeth; he had been reasonably confident he could cook an egg before he even tried. Iruka grabbed his hand and led the injured man to the bowl he had prepped for breakfast preparation. The brunette pointed at the bowl, “Here, let me teach you if you want to learn. Go ahead and crack the eggs in the bowl first.” It was at that moment that Iruka regretted not demonstrating beforehand.

The brunette flinched when Kakashi firmly slammed the egg he was holding against the inside of the bowl, shattering the egg into pieces. Iruka’s mouth fell open as he watched Kakashi individually pick out the small pieces of eggshell in the bowl. The brunette cleared his throat as he looked at the massacred egg in the bowl. Iruka couldn’t help the corners of his lips turning upward as he held back a laugh.

“Hm, next time try it like this,” Iruka said, grabbing another egg and lightly tapping it against the rim of the bowl before using his fingers to split the shell down the middle and dropping the egg into the bowl. He tossed the shell into the trash can, “If you do it that way, you get less shell in your eggs.” The brunette handed Kakashi another egg, waiting for him to demonstrate what he learned. Kakashi cautiously, almost hesitantly, took the egg from the brunette. The copy ninja did what he was famous for and copied exactly what Iruka did.

Kakashi struggled a bit with splitting the egg apart due to his cast, but overall, he performed far better than he initially did. Iruka nodded his head proudly and cracked another egg into the bowl. He grabbed some chopsticks out of his drawer, “Next, I like to scramble them ahead of time. I feel like they stick to the pan less that way. I also add a dash of milk, because it makes the eggs fluffier that way.”

Iruka passed Kakashi the chopsticks as he grabbed the carton of milk out of the fridge. The brunette poured a small amount of milk into the bowl, just enough to lighten the eggs slightly. Kakashi struggled to hold the chopsticks with his non-dominant hand. Iruka pursed his lips. He hadn’t meant to go into teacher mode and force the injured man to keep cooking for them. Iruka glanced up at Kakashi with his big brown eyes as he sheepishly scratched at his scar on his cheek.

 “Whoops, I didn’t mean to over-explain to you. You can shower if you want. I can finish breakfast.” Kakashi looked down at Iruka lazily; he hadn’t been offended. If anything, Kakashi had only been as quiet as he was because he realized his lack of skill when it came to cooking.

He was actually starting to enjoy learning something new. It was rare for Kakashi not to be capable of perfection on his first try. A new challenge. Kakashi cocked his head to the side before his signature sly smirk crossed his fist as he held up the chopsticks, “Maa~ Iruka, I like the sound of your voice. I could listen to it all day.”

Iruka turned his face away into his shoulder, holy fuck. He bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep himself sane as his heart practically burst in his chest. Iruka coughed loudly as he began to choke on his own spit. Tears welled in his chocolate orbs as he internally cringed at himself. Kakashi was by Iruka’s side in seconds, lightly rubbing his back in small circles.

“Don’t cry, you’ll only turn me on more.” Iruka’s eye twitched as he coughed even louder. He glared at Kakashi with his glassy obsidian orbs. Kakashi unabashedly tilted his head and shrugged with the same smirk on his face as if he were only stating the obvious.  Iruka cleared his throat once more, “Ahem, you need to rest.”

Kakashi pursed his lips; he really didn’t, but it didn’t seem like Iruka would take no for an answer. He sighed as he acquiesced to Iruka’s decision before he begrudgingly hobbled over to the couch. Iruka’s eyes followed as Kakashi made his way to the couch, just in case the injured man happened to fall. Kakashi let his body slump into the couch. Being injured was exhausting.

He scratched his messy hair with his free hand; he really needed to shower. Except that he didn’t want to figure out how to shower with the casts he had on. It was a lot more effort than he was willing to expend at the moment. Maybe after Kakashi got some food in his belly, he would be more willing to take on such a task. He also needed some new clothes to change into, and Iruka was likely two sizes too small for him.

That would also be a chore. Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned back into the comfortable couch, which seemed to almost swallow his body within it. Even with his back to them, Kakashi could sense them even though he couldn’t see them. Kakashi rolled his eyes as the ANBU menaces continued their stalking. Even he was surprised they hadn’t gotten bored yet.

The former ANBU’s non-dominant hand tapped on his cast, “If you’re going to watch, you might as well make yourselves useful and get me some clothes.” Kakashi muttered under his breath. As their senpai, he was going to put them to work if they were going to continue their invasion of privacy. He huffed quietly as he exhaled through his nose when he heard the signature sound of rustling leaves. One would think ANBU would have a better use of their time, but they really didn’t.

Iruka turned to him with a spatula in hand as he held a pack of bacon in the other, “Huh? Did you say something?” Kakashi smiled at him, his exposed eye turning into a downwards moon, “Nothing at all.” Iruka shook his head, he was even starting to hear things now. The brunette returned to his breakfast preparation.

Iruka wondered if he was perhaps being a tad overzealous, if he were also to make French toast with the eggs, bacon, and potatoes he was whipping up. He nibbled at his bottom lip as he absentmindedly scratched the back of his ankle with one of his feet. Iruka decided that it would be best to hold off on the French toast. He would have plenty of time to cook it for Kakashi later. The brunette blushed as the thought of cooking Kakashi breakfast from hereon came naturally.

Kakashi was thankful Iruka had his back turned towards him. Iruka was a delectable sight to behold in his oversized t-shirt and boxer combo. The brunette’s shirt was large enough that the hemmed collar exposed his clavicle. Kakashi had been waiting for Iruka to notice that he’d run out in only his underwear. Or perhaps the other simply didn’t care.

Regardless, he wasn’t willing to ruin the moment. The plaid boxers Iruka was wearing were loose around his hips, most likely due to a snapped waistband. This caused them to fall lower than usual. For someone with such a healthy appetite, the tanned man must have a fast metabolism. From what Kakashi observed, Iruka struggled to maintain his weight due to a bad habit of skipping his lunch.

The brunette was the type to always make sure the people around him were fed before he bothered to eat himself. Kakashi’s curiosity was piqued by the cooking earlier. That and if he learned how to cook, then he would have a better excuse for them to eat together. Plus, he could bulk both of them up by actually eating properly. Iruka was also always telling him to eat better, despite having bad habits himself.

Kakashi slowly pulled out his concealed copy of Make Out Paradise, though it was more of a cover. He held his book in front of his face as he lazily watched Iruka cook breakfast in the kitchen. From his view on the couch, he had nearly a perfect position to leer at the way Iruka kept pulling his boxers up while he cooked. The former ANBU himself was thoroughly amused as he watched the brunette running around the kitchen. Based on the mess piling up in the kitchen that Iruka was making, perhaps he wasn’t quite the professional chef Kakashi had initially thought.

Still, better than Kakashi, however. Plus, Kakashi had eaten Iruka’s cooking before, and it hadn’t been bad. The former ANBU tilted his head to the side in thought. In fact, Iruka had been extremely proficient at cooking at his house and had easily whipped up several meals for Kakashi before. Is he nervous?

Kakashi licked his lips as he practically undressed the brunette with his eyes, how simply adorable. He turned over his shoulder when he heard the ANBU placing his necessities outside the window. Kakashi rolled his eyes when he saw it was Yamato out of his peripheral vision. Of course, it would’ve been Yamato to retrieve his stuff. His precious kouhai was always eager for an opportunity to break into his senpai’s elusive house.

Yamato would have investigated the entirety of the Hatake household while he was gone. Kakashi’s house was completely clear of any forms of contraband, which was partly why he had established his multiple outposts across the Land of Fire. Now, Kakashi’s outposts were entirely hoarded with all sorts of contraband that he had collected over the years. Whether it was specialty weapons, poisons, jutsu scrolls, or antidotes, Kakashi had it all. In addition to that, he always disguised them with a genjutsu to conceal them.

The only ones who knew where Kakashi’s outposts were him and his pack. Even if by some miracle an ANBU happened to find one of his outposts, they wouldn’t be able to connect it with him either. Needless to say, Kakashi wasn’t particularly worried about Yamato being nosy. He had made his point abundantly clear to Yamato. Kakashi covered his face with his book before he turned to regard Yamato, who stood outside the window.

“So, did you find anything interesting?” Yamato sighed as he shrugged his shoulders, “Professional as ever, Senpai.” Kakashi chuckled as he felt Yamato’s annoyance radiating off the ANBU.

“You know better than anyone how thorough I can be. Now, tell me, why are so many of you out there lurking in the tree?” Kakashi leaned back on the couch and spoke in a hushed tone.  Yamato huffed, “Why miss the show?”

“Hm, I’m not sure Iruka needs an elite ANBU protection squad while I’m here.” Yamato stared blankly at his senpai, who concealed his face behind his favorite smut. He didn’t bother to tell Kakashi that that was exactly what so many of the ANBU were concerned about.

“I mean it, clear out.” Kakashi took on an uncharacteristically serious tone, and Yamato could tell by the look in his eyes that the former ANBU was being serious. Yamato scratched the back of his head in irritation, “Didn’t I literally just help you because you asked, and I happened to be in the area?” Kakashi raised a brow at the backtalk from his kouhai, and Yamato groaned, “Oh, c’mon senpai.”

“No, Iruka only needs one stalker, and that’s me,” Kakashi said firmly. Plus, truthfully, a squad of ANBU didn’t need to see Iruka walking around his home in his underwear.

“At least you admit it.” Iruka’s voice caused Kakashi to swiftly turn his head from where he had been talking to Yamato. Kakashi turned to Iruka, who was holding up two plates with breakfast on them. The brunette set the plates down on the coffee table in front of the couch before he scurried back into the kitchen. Iruka held a hand up, motioning for the two of them to stay for a moment. The tanned brunette returned with a plastic bag filled with items individually wrapped in foil.

Iruka passed the bag to Yamato, who tentatively remained in his spot outside the window. He cleared his throat, “Uh, they’re not the best, but I made some breakfast burritos with the leftovers I had this morning. If it’s okay with you, do you mind sharing them with the other watchers?” Yamato perked up at that as he took the bag full of warm, freshly cooked food.

“Of course, they will be delighted.” 

Kakashi clicked his tongue in irritation once his kouhai disappeared in a poof shortly after. Sometimes, Iruka was too nice for his own good, even though technically the ANBU problem was entirely his fault. Kakashi grabbed the clothes Yamato left behind before he finally closed the window, grumbling about getting Iruka more curtains. Though from what he could tell, a fair chunk of the ANBU had cleared out after the burrito offering. Burritos that were too good for the lot of them.

Iruka chuckled, “Honestly, I think most people would be shocked about how the ANBU spend their time. Truly, what could be so interesting about a boring schoolteacher?”

Iruka couldn’t have been more wrong. He was incredibly entertaining to observe from an ANBU standpoint. If Kakashi never made a move, there was no doubt that there would be ANBU interested in Iruka. Iruka handed Kakashi a fork, figuring that it would be easier than the injured man trying to use chopsticks with his nondominant hand. The brunette grabbed one of the pillows from the couch to sit on before he sat in front of the coffee table with his legs crossed.

Kakashi made a mental note to get Iruka a pair of better-fitting underwear. The ones he was wearing were too dangerous, as Kakashi could almost see what he wanted to see when Iruka’s boxers gaped when he crossed his legs. Kakashi picked up the fork and looked down at the breakfast in front of him. Nicely plated before him was a westernized breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns.

“This looks far better than anything I could have produced.” Iruka laughed heartily, “I’m just glad you didn’t manage to burn the apartment complex down.” Kakashi took a bite of his food as he internally pondered the thought, while Iruka was joking that it wasn’t necessarily a bad idea. It would be a reasonable excuse for Iruka to move in with Kakashi. Maybe that would be a backup option; a little electrical fire would be easy enough.

Iruka watched Kakashi’s face closely, gauging his reaction to the food. Luckily, he wasn’t met with a face of blatant disgust after Kakashi took a bite. Instead, it seemed as though the former ANBU was suddenly deep in thought as he ate his food. Iruka shrugged as he began to eat his own breakfast. It was bad, but it definitely wasn’t his best.

Once Kakashi left the kitchen, it was as if Iruka forgot entirely how to cook for himself for whatever reason. Iruka was barely halfway through his food when Kakashi put his fork down and wiped his face with a paper towel Iruka had also brought over. The brunette glanced at the empty plate of food before Kakashi in shock. A pale pink flush crossed Kakashi’s face as he noticed Iruka staring at him in shock. Kakashi scratched his head bashfully with his uninjured hand, “It was so good that it was gone before I noticed.”

The smile that crossed Iruka’s face radiated warmth and sunshine as he grinned cheekily with all of his teeth. The brunette deserved to be proud. Iruka was a good cook, even if Kakashi had been momentarily concerned for a brief moment. However, it was the way that Iruka’s genuine smile focused solely on him made Kakashi’s heart thump rapidly in his chest, that the former ANBU noticed. There was no way he was ever letting Iruka go.

Notes:

Wowza, you guys, I am so sorry that this update took me so long to produce! I meant to have this out by last weekend, but I have been sick with a persistent fever. Thankfully, not the good ole Covid-19. As I near the end of a fic, I always tend to drag my feet because I simply don't like ending things. This is an old fic of mine that I brought over to AO3 a while ago, but I've been meaning to get this fic finished out since 2014. For those of you who have been here from the beginning of when I brought this fic over to this site, you have truly stuck beside me as I improved my writing skills a bit during college. I'm proud to say that I believe I will finish this fic within the next two chapters, finally, after eleven years! (I'm in my mid twenties lol, this has been a long time coming). (Yes, the lemons will be in the next chapter, cough, cough, stay tuned). For those of you who have enjoyed this journey with me, THANK YOU for all of your support and your lovely reviews, subs, bookmarks, & kudos. We are so close to my goal of 1K kudos for this fic, I can almost taste it! haha. For those of you who have begun reading my latest work, Chaos Calls You Mine, thank you for continuing to support me even across fics, like wow. Please give that one a read and let me know what you think!