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“They were looking for an orphaned elf…” Genma whispered in the snow-dusted pine forests surrounding Osgilioth. Genma was a good man, a soldier of Minas Tirith assigned to protect Osgiliath, the small neighbor on the foothills to Mordor.
The town was still colorful and bright with art and creativity, especially as winter festivities approached, but there was a foreboding shadow the citizens could feel emitting from the east. From Mordor. “I brought help.” Genma said and motioned behind him.
Without a noise an elf emerged from the pines, as if he were one with them. “This is Yamato. He can guide you and the kid to safety.”
”He looks creepy,” Naruto whined, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting under his cloak’s hood. Iruka elbowed him harshly and the young elf “oof”ed and shut up.
”Hello Yamato, thank you for you help, but what do you suggest? I trust Genma to put us in safe hands, but it would put our minds at ease to know what is planned,” Iruka smiled at the new comer and greeted him as he knew of elf custom, a hand on the shoulder. Yamato reciprocated.
”I will take you to Rivendell, I know some friendly people there. Well, friendly may not be the opportune word, but someone who can help your unique case.” Yamato’s face stayed neutral. His eyes wide and almond shaped, did not betray a single emotion. Iruka wondered if he had them at all.
”I want to fight!” Naruto said much too loudly for the scene.
Iruka slapped a hand over the boy’s mouth and whispered, “You need trained, and if you keep yelling and drawing attention, you may get in a fight too soon and be taken from my care.”
Iruka’s dark, piercing eyes met Yamato’s alert, yet lifeless ones. “We can leave immediately.”
Genma waved the trio off. They left before dawn, on two sturdy, yet unremarkable horses, Naruto with Iruka and Yamato on his own.
They traveled light for such a long journey. Rivendell was a few weeks journey, especially when they would need to stay as much off the main roads as possible. Luckily, Yamato seemed to be at ease in every new land they crossed. He knew of friendly homes to rest in, and the paths through the woods appeared as if he summoned them by some magic.
The closer they got to their goal, the lighter Iruka’s heart felt. For so many years, he had felt the growing darkness of Mordor in his heart. It weighed him down like rocks. And once Naruto had appeared and he had taken the poor boy in, there was even more worry added to the miasma within him.
Iruka was lost in thought as they made it through a wooded area. He remembered the first time the small blond child with bright blue eyes appeared at his orphanage. Osgiliath, like many cities of man, had its good areas and its bad. Iruka serviced the poorest area. Where children were often abandoned.
For such a lovely city, the balance of evil felt unnecessary in his opinion. Iruka started the orphanage to teach the poor children life skills. However, he immediately knew something was different about the blond child. He was an elfling. And he didn’t know anything about his past. He didn’t recall how he got to the city, where his parents were, who he was. He just knew his name was Naruto.
And that he wanted to fight the growing darkness.
The traveling companions started up a narrow rocky path up a mountainside. It was lovely and even though it was narrow, Iruka didn’t feel worried about falling or the path being dangerous for some reason.
Soon, a beautiful scene was exposed as a cliff was rounded.
Rivendell, legendary elvish sanctuary was exposed before them. Yamato even seemed to relax ever so slightly. Naruto’s eyes widened and he whispered, “wow.” Iruka had never felt before so at home.
”Maa, Tenzou, what are you doing back?” An elf said, and Iruka couldn’t see from where the voice came until he looked up. A tree growing directly perpendicular to the cliff face housed a strange creature.
He pocketed a small book and leapt from the strange tree. “And who have you brought with you, my friend?”
”Cpatain,” Yamato, or was it Tenzou, said with a bow. “I bring refugees from Osgiliath.”
Iruka opened his mouth to protest the use of the term refugees, but thought better of it. He didn’t know Yamato long, but he hoped his trust was not misplaced.
The new man, a captain apparently, looked up at Naruto and Iruka, tired and dirty from the journey.
“Well, let’s get you all settled,” Kakashi had a glint in his eye as he looked at Iruka one last time. The Captain had messy short grey hair, a style Iruka had never seen on another elf in his life, though he has not seen many elves before. Technically Naruto had short hair, but he was merely a child.
Then the captain had a mask over the lower half of his face and a silk cloth covering one eye. It was very mysterious. Even though his continuance seemed friendly, that single exposed eye had an unreadable look in it, not without emotion like Tenzou’s, but the dark grey of it was like a maelstrom of emotions. A book where every other word was another language, all unknown to Iruka.
“Greetings, Yamato, welcome home.” The Lord and protector of Rivendell was Elrond, whose name was legend itself. Iruka could hardly believe he was in his presence.
“And your companions?”
Iruka bowed, and pushed Naruto’s head down to make him bow as well. The boy didn’t fight as hard as usual, so he must have some understanding of what was happening.
”Lord Elrond, we thank you for allowing us into your realm. We come from Osgiliath,” Iruka began his introductions, “I am Iruka, son of Ikkaku, I run an orphanage. This is Naruto… He is one of my charges.”
”Naruto?” Elrond looked at the boy, as if seeing beyond him, but it wasn’t empty vision, he looked at Naruto like he say his whole life and being, his past, his present, and his future, all in one look. “I see.”
Elrond and Yamato started to talk in elvish. Neither Naruto nor Iruka knew what was being said and they looked at one another in the meantime.
”My Lord, isn’t it unhospitable to speak wherein your guests cannot understand?” The Captain appeared again. Iruka didn’t think he would see him again so soon.
Elrond looked amused. “Well, we would hate to seem unhospitable.” He turned to Iruka and Naruto and continued, “Since my most esteemed captain, Kakashi seems so concerned with your hospitality here, he can agree to help school and train Naruto and house the both of you until we find any more suitable solution to this situation. Isn’t that right, Captain Kakashi?”
Kakashi’s eye widened for a brief moment before he released an amused breath. “I’m sure my quarters will be sufficient. I will do my best, Lord Elrond.”
They exchanged a look, Elrond with a knowing and amused smile, and Kakashi with that unreadable look.
”Follow me, visitors.”
Iruka and Naruto waved goodbye to Yamato and followed their new host. He was silent on their walk, and that was fine by Iruka. Both he and the boy were taking in the beauty of their new surroundings.
“This place is unreal…” Naruto said. Iruka agreed. “This Cap Kaka seems… weird though right?”
Iruka nearly choked on his own spit. “Naruto, you better be nice to our host. They are doing this to save you after all.”
”Not just the boy, Iruka. You are at risk by association.”
Iruka looked at the back of Kakashi’s head in disbelief. “What do you know of our situation?”
”I could understand Tenzou and Elrond’s conversation.”
“And would you keep that to yourself? That is not how I would expect a good host to be.”
Kakashi laughed behind his mask. Iruka blushed at his boldness with the man who was helping them both so freely.
Iruka sighed as he watched Kakashi and Naruto train with long swords. Kakashi’s form was hard to track he was so fast and skilled. Naruto was gaining incredible skills under his tutelage, but the difference in their skill was still obvious.
The single eye suddenly flashed up to look directly into his own eyes on the balcony above. Iruka nearly squealed, but he held back and escaped the balcony instead. He made his way to the gardens instead. It was cooler here in the mist of the woods. All of Rivendell was as if it were in the sky, in the clouds themselves rather than on earth. The woods’ mist was illuminated by the setting sun, and dusty pinks and hues of orange lit the fine water particles. The beauty of this place calmed him.
He breathed in the clean air and tried to quell his pounding heart.
”Iruka.”
His heart leapt into his throat and he had to consciously stop himself from choking on it. He spun quickly on his heel and came face to face with Kakashi.
”Kakashi!” Iruka tried to keep himself from blushing, but it came unbridled. Over the weeks of their stay in Kakashi’s home, a slow feeling of home had been growing for Iruka. Kakashi was strangely domestic, making the most delicious meals Iruka had ever tasted, making sure the home was clean and linen fresh every day.
Iruka didn’t know where he found the time. Between teaching Naruto and whatever other duties Elrond would assign him. He knew Tenzou and Genma were looking for evidence of whoever was after Naruto. And Elrond was looking into Naruto’s mysterious past and how it may tie into the growing darkness in the east.
But somehow none of that penetrated Iruka’s mind while he was with Kakashi. None of his usual worry could reach his mind. Instead he felt just an admiration and fondness for his host.
”I’m sorry I was watching.” Iruka looked away from the intensity of Kakashi’s single visible eye.
”I’m not sorry. I like when you look at me.” Kakashi said it so freely, so boldly. Iruka’s head whipped back up to look the man in the eye. “In fact,” Kakashi continued, getting even closer to Iruka, shifting the mist at their feet to dance around their thighs. “I wouldn’t mind you doing nearly anything with me.”
Iruka’s mouth opened, but was unable to form words.
”It’s because you already possess me, I feel it is uneven. You never leave my mind’s eye.”
”How?”
Kakashi laughed at that. “It seemed you do not know your worth, Iruka. You sacrificed your life to protect a boy you had no ties to. You took it upon yourself to find work in Rivendell, teaching visiting human children and any administrative work. No one would offer that. No one but you. You’re admirable. You’re beautiful.”
Kakashi’s hand, warm and alive, reached up and cupped Iruka’s cheek. Iruka leaned into the touch, feeling every fiber of his being, his whole essence from within, reaching to touch that hand through his cheek as well.
Then Kakashi used his other hand to pull down his mask. Iruka had never seen his face before, and it was as beautiful, more beautiful even, than any of the elves he had ever seen before.
Their movement had whipped the mist up past their thighs and the pinks and oranges of the setting sun enveloped them both in its comforting presence.
Without thought, Iruka leaned into Kakashi, and Kakashi leaned in as well.
Their first kiss was chaste, yet a passion was promised in it, and it excited them both. Hope bloomed for a future filled with something other than worry and fret of uncertainty. One thing was now beyond certainty.
Kakashi pulled back, smile wide and pure on his lips before his mask was back in place. Iruka was bereft of it, but knew it would not be his last time seeing that handsome face. Certain it would not be the last time he tasted those lips.
A joy he had never known filled his heart and for the rest of his mortal life, he knew that this feeling would never leave him. It was certain.