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A layer of sweat formed on Iruka's forehead, partly from the effort he was making jumping from branch to branch and partly from his body temperature rising steadily. He propelled himself faster through the trees, trying to ignore the increasing muscle pain and focusing his blurring vision. He hoped to put a considerable distance between himself and the three ninjas of the Mist who were chasing him. It was his only option until he reached Konoha. The option of hiding and taking advantage of the fact that the sky had begun to darken would be useless, because he was being betrayed by his own pheromones, which left a trail behind him. Using shadow clones would not work either, for the same reason: clones had no scent, so they would find him easily.
Iruka paused for a few seconds to catch his breath and use his echolocation to check if the ninjas of the Mist were nearby. He allowed himself to take another five breaths before continuing on. They were far away, but not far enough for them to lose his trail.
According to the Bingo book, those ninjas were mercenaries tasked with obtaining scrolls containing information vital to the security of the hidden villages, such as the scroll Iruka had hidden inside his waistcoat. Iruka sighed in frustration. This mission was supposed to be a C-rank. All he had to do was go to a cave near the border between the Land of Fire and the Village of Rain to retrieve the scroll that was hidden there.
In theory, there shouldn't have been any problems, apart from a sudden rain shower that caught him off guard and caused him to lose a day. Perhaps his only complaint was that it had taken him longer to get there than to remove the seals; which, without wanting to sound conceited, he did in the blink of an eye.
Of course, this aroused a certain suspicion in him. So many hours of travel to get a scroll in less than ten minutes? It wasn't something a ninja expected. He spent the next hour looking for another possible scroll, discovering some traps but nothing that could kill him. He even used his echolocation, but to no avail. Once he was sure there was nothing else he could extract from the cave, he returned the way he had come. A few kilometres later, he was intercepted by the mercenary ninjas.
No words were exchanged. Iruka recognised them instantly from their photos in the Bingo book, and for some reason, those ninjas also seemed to know who he was. Iruka knew he didn't have a reputation that spoke for him, so he concluded that they had been spying on him to steal the scroll. His mind quickly devised a strategic plan to attack, but it instantly went blank when the scent of the three ninjas hit his nostrils.
They were alphas.
Too preoccupied with thinking about how to protect the scroll he had without dying in the attempt, he had completely forgotten about the second gender of those men. In another situation, it might not have been very relevant; it wouldn't have been the first time he had faced alpha ninjas, and he had always counted on the underestimation of his omega-side to gain an advantage. They weren't very high level either but the situation was different. That day, Iruka had felt the first symptoms of his heat. At first, he had fooled himself into believing that it was just discomfort, because he hadn't eaten or slept properly for the last twenty-four hours. But as the hours passed, everything seemed to indicate otherwise. He was in no condition to fight.
Having received this mission out of the blue in the early hours of the morning, he hadn't had time to check his calendar. The ANBU had only given him an hour to prepare and, of course, he wasn't carrying any suppressors with him.
‘But I'm not allowed to leave the village unaccompanied,’ Iruka had told the ANBU.
"Follow the mission instructions. If you don't return within 48 hours of your estimated return date, an ANBU will come looking for you."
And that was the end of the conversation.
The branches beneath his feet cracked, some of them about to break completely. He had been running for almost two hours, and the few provisions he had brought with him on the mission had run out several kilometres ago, leaving him with only a kunai as a means of defence.
There were still many kilometres to go before he reached his village. Deep down in his heart, he knew he would not make it, he would be killed at any moment. But also he had to prevent those mercenaries from getting their hands on the scroll at all costs. He began to think about the right seals to use and a good hiding place for the scroll. Perhaps if he made it look like a branch or a rock, it might work, but he had to do it quickly.
Unfortunately, it was all becoming too much to handle. As he tried to remember the right seals to execute his plan, his mind quickly formed the image of the little ten-year-old pup he had recognised as his own time ago.
Naruto.
Iruka thought with pain in his heart, feeling tears well up in his eyes at the thought that he would never again see those blue orbs full of energy. He couldn't leave the pup abandoned, his pup. Even in death, he would not find enough peace for having left him alone, having promised him that he would always be by his side.
He tried to swallow his tears and focus on his original plan, but all his attention returned to Naruto and the guilt that gnawed at him for leaving him alone.
My pup. I can't leave him alone.
By then, his body was moving on autopilot while he was tortured by his own thoughts repeating themselves over and over again.
I'm not in my nest. I don't have my pup with me. I'm going to die. I'm alone.
And that last sentence ended up piercing his aching heart even more. Because he wasn't always alone; he used to have a mate.
But his mate —his alpha— decided to leave the village overnight. He gave no warning, left no letter explaining his reasons. Iruka woke up to find one side of the bed empty and the news that his partner had deserted, leaving behind the bodies of two shinobi who had been guarding the entrance and a survivor who confirmed the identity of the killer: Hatake Kakashi.
During the first week, everything was chaos. Iruka was interrogated more times than he could remember. Until then, no one but the Hokage and some ANBU knew that Kakashi and he were a couple. Soon the T&I department found out and dragged him away to extract any information about Kakashi's whereabouts, suspecting he might be an accomplice.
But neither Ibiki's questions nor Yamanaka Inoichi's techniques could extract anything from him. Iruka was innocent. However, the interrogations were not going to end there. They decided to give him a day to... think about what happened. Iruka assumed that perhaps they saw his lost look and decided to take pity on him. But he couldn't even set foot outside the building when he let out a cry of pain, drawing the attention of the people around him. He didn't know how, he just knew that from one moment to the next he felt as if thousands of tiny needles had been stuck all over his neck, preventing him from speaking.
He was immediately taken to the hospital for a check-up. From a check-up in a common room, he was taken to one much further away from the public eye and with other medical ninjas he didn't remember seeing before. The pain subsided until he could speak, but they wouldn't let him leave. He knew it was serious when the Hokage came accompanied by Nara Shikaku. Plus two ANBU guarding the entrance.
Iruka sat on a stretcher, looking at the two men who had just arrived. He couldn't help but feel self-conscious under their stern gaze. Although it wasn't directed at him. Still, it wasn't every day that you were observed by the Hokage and one of your students' parents.
‘Lord Third,’ the medical ninja greeted him with a bow before speaking again. ‘The blood sample taken from the patient indicates concentrated poison in the neck and shoulder area, spreading rapidly throughout the body.’
Iruka's mind took a moment to process what he had heard. At first, he thought it was a horrible joke, but then he realised it wasn't.
What? Kakashi poisoned me?
The sour scent of distress and confusion quickly filled the room, making those present uncomfortable. Hiruzen placed his hand on the omega's shoulder, sensing the thoughts that were overwhelming him.
‘You're not going to die, Iruka,’ Hiruzen said bluntly, though his concern was evident in his tone of voice. Unfortunately, he failed to calm Iruka's anxiety.
‘That's true,’ confirmed the medical ninja. ‘It's not a poison made with the intention to kill... not the recipient, at least.’
Iruka looked at the woman, confused and demanding further explanation with his gaze.
‘It originates from the Hatake clan,’ the doctor paused, organising her words in her mind. It wasn't something easy to communicate. ‘When the alphas went to war to fight, they injected their partners' necks to prevent other alphas from claiming them in their absence. As they couldn't risk leaving a mark that might cause them depression whilst they were apart for a long time, they devised this poison.’
Iruka was no stranger to the various creations of the Hatake clan. Kakashi had told him about some of them and had even given him the recipes to replicate them—although Iruka had initially refused, arguing not only that he no longer did field work, but also that Kakashi should not share his clan's secrets with ‘an outsider.’ Kakashi had ignored him and said that Iruka was trustworthy enough to know those secrets—
But it was the first time Iruka had heard about this particular poison.
Silence filled the room, with only the woman speaking to five men, four of whom showed no expression—although the two ANBU wore masks that prevented from showing their facial expressions—and one who could not process what he was hearing. The woman's gaze shifted from Iruka to the Hokage, and back to Iruka again.
‘I'll get to the point. Anyone who bites you, except Hatake, will die of poisoning. There isn't much more information. There is no antidote. We don't know if there are exceptions with betas, or how it is that the person who placed it is immune to the poison,’ because the little information they had had been provided by Sakumo Hatake. When they tried to find out more about the poison, Kakashi said he had never bothered to ask his father about the secrets of the Hatake Clan. Which turned out to be a lie. "We only know that it doesn't last forever, but it varies depending on who administered it. We will have to test it constantly… Although we have a theory that it won't lose its intensity for a year and a half.’
For a moment, silence returned. Hiruzen took a puff on his pipe, analysing the whole situation again. His best ninja had deserted, and not only that, but he had left an omega poisoned. He had already deduced the reason behind the poisoning. Because he didn't believe it was just because Kakashi didn't want Iruka to be marked by someone else. Perhaps if it had been another shinobi, he would have expressed his theory bluntly, but he couldn't be the bearer of bad news, not with Iruka.
Hiruzen turned his gaze to Nara, who hadn't said a word since they arrived. ‘What do you think, Shikaku?’
‘It's a message,’ said the alpha without hesitation. ‘Umino-sensei is being used as an hourglass. When the poison wears off, Hatake will return to the village… but not as an ally.’
Hiruzen closed his eyes for a few seconds. Just as he thought, Shikaku had come to the same conclusion as him. ‘Why Iruka?’
‘Based on the information Umino gave, they both started spending more time together at the same time that Hatake's mental deterioration was suspected. Most likely, Hatake concluded that dating a sensei with a good reputation, who is also close to you, could improve his image with the higher-ups and thus no one would suspect that he was planning to leave."
‘I see.’
If they continued talking, Iruka did not hear them. He wanted to deny what Nara was saying at all costs, but he couldn't speak. His gaze fixed on the floor without blinking. He was analysing every word he had heard. He refused to believe it. At one point he wanted to shout that they didn't know Kakashi as he did, but nothing came out of his mouth. Because if it were true, Iruka would have realised that Kakashi was planning to desert.
And for the first time since this madness began, he questioned whether he really knew Kakashi.
Iruka was advised to keep his relationship with Kakashi a secret. He obeyed, but it didn't last long. Two weeks later, he broke down in his living room in front of the two people closest to him: Mizuki and Anko. He confessed everything he had been keeping to himself. That he hadn't taught for a week, not because he had been struck by a sudden heat, but because he had been interrogated for being Kakashi's partner. That he had gone to the hospital not to look for suppressants, but because they were checking him for a poison that had been placed in his body.
Neither of them reacted to the fact that he had kept the relationship a secret—which it seemed he hadn't concealed as well as he thought—but rather to what Kakashi had done. Both reacted differently. Unfortunately for Iruka's broken heart, they agreed with Shikaku.
Anko was furious. She insulted the Copy Ninja in every way possible for using her friend. For leaving him in that state. On the other hand, Mizuki had only shrugged his shoulders, and for a split second, there was a slight upward curve at the corner of his mouth that no one wanted to point out.
‘Let's be honest. It was too good to be true,’ he said as if he had stated the obvious. ‘I mean, he's an elite jōnin, he's been on thousands of S-rank infiltration missions. Pretending with you must have been a piece of cake for him.’
Iruka didn't respond, and Mizuki took that as a sign to continue.
‘I told you not to trust people so blindly, Iruka.’
‘Mizuki, stop. Now,’ Anko growled.
‘I'm just telling the truth.’
Iruka couldn't remember if they argued, if he said anything to contradict him, or if they changed the topic. All he knew was that after Mizuki and Anko left his house, Iruka went straight to bed and stayed there until the next day, thinking about his friend's words.
It wasn't his fault, was it? He hadn't been entirely open with Kakashi at first, and he even remembered having avoided him whenever he could. All because of the embarrassment he felt at having been saved by Kakashi — his team leader — from enemy ninjas and, in turn, having ruined the mission.
But without realising it, their paths began to cross more often and he could no longer avoid him. They met in the Mission Assignment Desk. At Ichiraku's. On nights when he left the academy late and then Kakashi offered to walk him home since his house was on the way — and when they started dating, he discovered that it was a lie. Kakashi actually lived in the opposite direction and had only made up that excuse to spend time with him. He still remembered that he hadn't got that annoyed, just because Kakashi looked cute with his face all red when he caught him out.— They began to be closer, to open up to each other. Confessing secrets, worries, and expectations of life. And after three months, on an outing where they ended up sitting on a bench outdoors, enjoying the quiet night, Kakashi kissed him.
And of course, Iruka kissed him back.
They had been around eighteen and twenty-two years old respectively. But he remembered that when they broke apart from the kiss, they both smiled at each other as if they were two children who had just got up to mischief. It was such a special first kiss that no words were needed to express the affection they felt for each other.
The memories hurt even more.
Since Kakashi left over a year ago, part of his heart went with him. It hurt. They advised him to limit himself to dating betas because they wouldn't need to mark him, but Iruka refused. He said that the fact that Kakashi could show up at any moment made him give up on dating anyone, for fear that this person would get involved and get hurt. But deep down in his heart, he knew that everything about him belonged to Kakashi, from his body to his soul. Even if Kakashi did not reciprocate his feelings. And just thinking about dating someone to fill the void in his being would not only be useless, but it made him sick and hurt him to the core.
It hurt to feel that way, like an abandoned omega even though he had not been marked. The days of heat were much worse, as he was more emotionally vulnerable and his mind told him he was useless for not being able to keep his alpha with him.
Those were weeks of intense pain, and he was only able to keep going thanks to Naruto, who had given him so much happiness. He was his last ray of light, and he had clung to him with all his strength, even though he had been told not to get attached to the jinchūriki. But he couldn't resist; that kid had nothing to do with a beast. He was his pup.
Iruka returned to the present when he slipped on one of the branches. Luckily, at the last moment, he managed to grab onto another branch below with his chakra, avoiding falling headfirst to the ground several metres below. He had almost no strength left.
He continued jumping, looking down every so often to see if there was anywhere to hide. There was no point in continuing to jump from branch to branch if he couldn't distinguish them properly. Iruka, while continuing to jump, used his echolocation again to locate the three ninjas.
They were much closer than before.
He growled in frustration. Even using all his strength, he had not managed to keep a distance great enough to have enough time to hide the scroll.
He was sure there was a path that would take him to Konoha faster. But he couldn't find it, even looking as carefully as possible. Where was it?
His senses put him on alert. Iruka was surrounded. He glanced sideways to see where the chakra signatures were coming from. One was coming from the right. Another from the left, and the third was behind him. If his calculations were correct, they were a minute away from him.
Suddenly, the chakra signals began to disappear.
There were three... then two... then one. Finally, zero.
Silence.
One again.
Right behind him.
Iruka's eyes widened as he recognised the chakra signature. No, it couldn't be possible. With what little strength he had left, he moved more quickly. He refused to look back. His mind was playing tricks on him. Those ninjas had somehow hidden themselves to give him false hope, or at best, they saw that it was useless to follow him to Konoha for a piece of paper that might not be so important in the end, since it was only retrieved by a single chūnin instead of a jōnin or an ANBU. Iruka prayed for either option. Suddenly, being killed by those ninjas didn't sound so bad.
He would actually prefer to die at their hands.
Iruka stopped abruptly when the branches ended. By that point, it was too dark to find another path through the trees, and he couldn't think clearly enough to use his echolocation to find one either. He jumped to the ground and he found himself facing a wall of rocks that stretched along the forest, too long and too high to see where it ended. It resembled the mountain where the faces of the Hokages were located. He scanned the wall, looking for something—anything—that might get him out of that situation. But with almost no chakra left to climb the wall or the trees, it was pointless. It was the end.
There was noise in his head, all his instincts screaming danger, and he had nothing to defend himself with. His body began to shake when he heard footsteps a few metres away from him. At some point, he had started to hyperventilate. He bit his lower lip as tears threatened to spill out again.
He was in danger. He was not in a safe place and the only person who had ever made him feel safe was the same person who could kill him at that moment.
‘I'm beginning to think that you like being rescued, Iruka,’ said a painfully familiar voice behind him. ‘This is the second time I have to save you from enemy ninjas.’
Although he certainly counted as one now.
Kakashi.
Iruka was paralysed. He forgot any instructions on what to do in the event of a sudden heat in front of an enemy, but even if he did remember, it would be useless due to part of his natural instinct recognised that alpha as his mate.
Hearing his voice after so long. That familiar, affectionate tone with which the man he loved so much—and yet at the same time an enemy—pronounced his name. He didn't dare turn around to face him, unsure of what to do. His emotions were in conflict.
Happiness at seeing him after so long. Anguish because he had abandoned him. Anger because he was speaking to him so casually.
Iruka had imagined many situations in which he would meet Kakashi again. In most of them, he would yell at him angrily for abandoning him. In others he would just cry, waiting for an apology. And in others... he would kill him with his own hands. Iruka was aware that it was not a realistic scenario, that in a single second Kakashi could end his life before he even drew a kunai. But he wanted to believe that the moment he had him in front of him, he would put his feelings aside and fulfil his duty as a shinobi of the Leaf Village, because above all else was his village. Because no matter what his feelings were, Kakashi was in the Bingo book and there was an order to execute him immediately. Although many, including himself, knew they had no chance of even scratching him.
Deep down, he hoped he would never see Kakashi again in his life. That by the time Kakashi returned to the village, he would be far away on a mission or locked away somewhere. Because he knew he couldn't face him without his feelings getting in the way.
Iruka clenched his fists at his sides; he had to face him. He turned slowly without looking up from the ground, holding his breath, afraid of what he might see. His gaze travelled from his own feet to Kakashi's. Then he slowly looked up until their eyes met.
Even though only one of Kakashi's eyes was exposed, it was enough to shake Iruka.
There was a script in his mind. One that every shinobi had memorised in case they encountered the Copy Ninja.
Hatake Kakashi. Registration code: 009720. Jōnin level.
Iruka swallowed hard.
You are accused of the murder of two shinobi and treason against your village.
He felt his mouth go dry.
As a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, it is my duty to stop...
But nothing came out of Iruka's mouth.
He just stood rigidly in place, staring at the ninja in front of him. The moonlight illuminated enough to make out his silhouette. There was no red clouds or curse mark in sight that Kakashi supposedly had, according to rumours.
Iruka exhaled through his nose an air he didn't know he had been holding.
Kakashi still wore his characteristic mask and standard shinobi outfit. It looked old and worn, contrasting with the fresh blood splattered on his waistcoat. Then, a stripe crossed the symbol of the Leaf Village on his hitai-ate, reminding him that man was a traitor. Iruka began to feel a ringing in his ear that prevented him from hearing anything else around them. A quick check told him there was no escape.
On the other hand, Kakashi, seeing no movement from Iruka, took a step forward to see how the omega would react, receiving a warning growl in response.
‘Don't move!’ Iruka growled loudly enough to cause a burning sensation in his throat. Feeling like a cornered animal, he could only react violently. His mind was clouded. He had identified the alpha as a potential threat by not recognising his scent—because he couldn't recognise any scent from the jōnin—so, even with all the pain in his body that the heat was causing, he went on the defensive.
‘I didn't come here to hurt you, Iruka.’ Kakashi's words sounded sincere, but Iruka couldn't believe anything that came out of his mouth; he didn't want to. And to prove it, he raised his own kunai, ready to attack if Kakashi tried anything else.
Kakashi, for his part and with his only visible eye, watched Iruka's gestures closely. He wondered if Iruka could even aim properly. He didn't need to use his sharingan to realise that Iruka was physically exhausted. He only had to observe the trembling of his fingers and the strain in his eyes as he tried to focus.
When he took another step, Iruka's kunai was thrown with perfect aim at full speed towards his face. And although it took him a little by surprise, he only had to use the protector on his glove as a shield to deflect the weapon, which with a sharp blow, stuck into a tree branch a few metres above them. The sound of a paper bomb explosion was not long in coming.
Kakashi did not move, even though the explosion was relatively close. He glanced sideways at the place where the explosion had occurred and then looked back at Iruka. That was certainly going to attract attention. Iruka had made his message clear without saying a word. Any move he made, Iruka was going to go after him.
A breeze blew around them, too cold to give anyone goose bumps, but neither Kakashi nor Iruka reacted. Both were very focused on each other's movements. However, Kakashi couldn't help but sniff the air, feeling the sour scent of his omega invade his nostrils.
His most primitive side growled.
‘You're in heat,’ he said calmly, and going against the omega's wishes, he advanced slowly. That sentence seemed to have finally provoked Iruka, who quickly lunged at the alpha, ready to kill.
It was not difficult for Kakashi to dodge his punches and kicks, moving elegantly with the grace of a ninja trained from a very young age, although he had to admit that Iruka's movements were much faster and more aggressive than he remembered when they used to train taijutsu together. Of course, the omega had surely advanced in combat during the time they hadn't seen each other. Just because Iruka no longer went on missions frequently didn't mean he should let himself go. After all, he had to stay in shape in case there was a possible attack. But the way he moved without a specific pattern made him realise that Iruka wasn't thinking clearly.
At one point, he stopped a fist heading straight for his face, catching it and closing the distance between them. Iruka seemed so determined to kill him that he couldn't help but smile to himself, feeling his heart beat faster at the thought. It wasn't the kind of passion he expected to receive after not seeing each other for over a year, but he certainly liked it.
Iruka broke free and continued attacking him. Kakashi just dodged him, without returning any blows.
When Iruka's blows became easier to dodge due to fatigue, Kakashi decided that was enough. In a single instant, he grabbed Iruka's wrist and pulled him towards his body until they were chest to chest. He wrapped his free arm around the omega's waist.
‘Let me go!’ demanded Iruka as he struggled to free himself, but it was useless. Not only did he fail to break free, but he also failed to move Kakashi an inch.
‘Don't move.’
That was the last thing Iruka heard from Kakashi before everything around him changed. From one moment to the next, they were no longer in the middle of the forest, the cold air had disappeared and been replaced by a humid atmosphere. The only thing that could easily be mistaken for the forest he had been in a few seconds ago were the leaves that fell to the ground, but he knew they were the result of a teleportation jutsu.
Kakashi's grip loosened and Iruka instantly pulled away, taking a couple of steps back as his eyes darted around to take in every detail around him. At some point, his own hitai-ate fell to the floor, the knot having come undone after so much movement, but he paid no attention to it, too preoccupied with observing his new surroundings.
They were in a room with stone walls. Behind Kakashi was a closed door. There was nothing remarkable about the walls, nor was there much furniture. There was a desk to Kakashi's left. Behind them, against the wall, was a bed, and next to it was a bedside table with a lamp that provided what little light there was in the room. The window was so narrow that it would be impossible for him to escape.
The air felt suffocating to Iruka, everything around him felt so heavy that his knees trembled, threatening to give way and cause him to fall. He wanted to scream, to demand that the alpha release him, but he found himself too scared to do so.
He writhed in pain as a wave of heat invaded his body. Damn it, how much longer was this going to last before he lost his mind?
And suddenly, he felt his mind begin to clear a little. He blinked a couple of times, trying to take in what was happening. It was when Kakashi's distinctive scent became present that his most primitive side recognised him as his alpha.
The violence inside him subsided a little, but he was still on alert. He looked at Kakashi in bewilderment, noticing as the alpha approached the desk where he left what looked like a scent-blocking patch and his gloves.
‘You recognise me, good. I was afraid you wouldn't,’ he said while forming a crescent with his eyes. Chillingly cheerful.
‘What do you want? Where am I?’
‘Is that how you greet your partner after so long?’ When Iruka didn't answer, he continued, ‘We're in a hideout I borrowed from a snake... although he doesn't know it,’ he turned to look at him, ‘I'm still waiting for a thank you for saving you.’
‘I didn't ask you to save me. I could have just given them what they wanted and left!’
Kakashi let out a small laugh, which annoyed Iruka even more.
‘They weren't after the scroll, Iruka. They were after you.’
‘What?’ he asked in complete confusion. No. He wouldn't believe his words. ‘You're lying!’
‘I have no reason to,’ he replied casually, ‘although I am curious to know what you did to make someone so angry that they sent mercenaries to finish you off.’
Iruka frowned.
‘Leave me alone.’
‘You're in heat. I could help you get rid of that right now,’ he replied with apparent boredom in his voice. ‘On the other hand, if you refuse, I'll have to keep you here for three days until your heat is over. There are a plenty of enemy ninjas out there who could hurt you, you know?’
Iruka growled. He couldn't be serious.
‘Of course, the decision is yours. I won't touch you if you don't allow me to,’ Kakashi said mockingly.
‘ANBU will come looking for me.’
‘I'll kill them.’
‘Let me go! I could have handled this by myself! And above all, if I'm in heat, it's none of your business anymore!’
Iruka groaned as his back slammed into the wall behind him, closing his eyes with a grimace of pain. In a split second, he was cornered by Kakashi's firm arms that positioned on either side of his head, leaving him with no escape. It had all happened so fast that he could barely process it. When he opened his eyes and met Kakashi's piercing gaze, Iruka felt small. Even though there was no significant difference in height between them, he couldn't help but shrink back.
The Kakashi of his memories was almost always hunched over, in a relaxed position that made him appear shorter. Instead, this one loomed over him with his back straight, forcing him to lift his head to look him straight in the eye. Too close to his face to feel their breaths collide, even though there was still a mask in between.
‘As if I had let someone else to touch you,’ Kakashi said in a hoarse voice, sending a chill down Iruka's spine. He tilted his head to one side and his uncovered eye stared intently at the omega's neck. ‘I thought I'd made that clear.’
Iruka frowned, feeling anger flood his body. How dare he mock him? He clenched his fists tightly, ignoring the pain in his palms from his nails digging into his skin. And at the same time, trying to ignore the anguish caused by the memory that he was being used as a kind of hourglass. Because for over a year now, he felt that he had been reduced to that, a living timer that constantly had to be checked.
The only thing he was grateful for was that they had kept their relationship a secret, otherwise the whole village would have been looking at him with pity, reminding him that he was an abandoned omega. Although, on second thought, Mizuki was already doing that last thing for the whole village.
Honestly, he would have preferred not to know he had been poisoned. Or at least to believe the lie that Kakashi had only been possessive of him, even though he would surely have been offended by the mistrust. As if he hadn't shown Kakashi his complete devotion more than once.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath, swallowing his own tears. He might have been going into heat, but he still had enough rationality left to allow him to maintain some pride, even though he felt more dizzy as the minutes passed.
‘Stop pretending,’ he said sharply. "I know you put this thing on me just to make it clear that you were coming back. What are you going to do? Are you plannnig to destroy Konoha?" Iruka didn't expect Kakashi to answer his questions; he was sure he wouldn't, but he couldn't help spitting out his words with resentment.
‘And if I were, what would you do?’ Kakashi replied dryly, leaving Iruka paralysed by the direct response. ‘Will you try to stop me, Iruka?’
Iruka opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. And for a moment, a feeling of guilt settled inside him when he noticed a flash of pain in Kakashi's eye.
Kakashi seeing that Iruka was not going to answer, sighed.
‘It's true. I'll be back,’ he confessed. ‘But only to take you and Naruto with me.’
The confession took Iruka by surprise; he had expected anything but that. Perhaps he had expected to hear something like that he had actually assembled his own team of renegade ninjas to destroy the Leaf, or that he had sold the village's secrets to enemy villages and had estimated a date for an attack. He had imagined many things, but not that.
‘Wh-what?’ was all he could manage to say. He needed an explanation; he had so many questions that it was simply too much to decide where to start. His lip trembled as he waited for more information. ‘What are you referring to—’
‘Enough,’ Kakashi interrupted, ‘I want to hear your decision now.’
His voice was so stern that Iruka cringed, looking at the floor. He was still trembling, unable to tell if it was from fear or from the heat that was becoming more intense and making it difficult for him to think clearly. He wanted to reproach him for so many things, but at the same time, his inner omega was suffering from the alpha's touch. It was painful.
‘Why are you doing this?’ he asked, his voice breaking. However, he got no answer. Kakashi just kept his gaze fixed on him. Once again, the feeling of anguish mixed with anger took hold of him.
‘You can't just expect me to decide! How can it count as a decision if my own body is betraying me?!’ And this time he couldn't hold back his tears. He realised too late that he couldn't stop them, but at that point he didn't care anymore. Every word had been spoken with so much pain that even his own scent had turned sour. It was the kind of scent that immediately repelled a partner. And he expected Kakashi to pull away because of that, but instead the alpha lowered his mask and approached him.
‘Iruka...’ Kakashi murmured in a soft voice as if trying to reassure him, but to Iruka it sounded more like a demon whispering in his ear, tempting him to commit a sin. And if that was the case, then he was succeeding, because Iruka's body shuddered when he heard his name spoken in that way.
And when he looked up again, his eyebrows rose and his lips parted slightly in surprise. It was Kakashi's face. Seeing him after so long... He hadn't changed at all, he was still the same as the last time he saw him. So beautiful that he couldn't help but lose himself for a few seconds.
Kakashi leaned in, and Iruka instinctively put his hands on the pockets of his waistcoat, stopping him and, ironically, clinging to him in turn. Kakashi's gaze had softened, while Iruka's still held doubt. He couldn't bear it any longer. His eyes slid to Kakashi's lips, so close and yet so far away, wondering if they still tasted the same as he remembered. He reconnected his gaze with Kakashi's.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds and with the last of his remaining rationality accepted what was inevitable; he had to accept the alpha's proposal. He didn't want to return to the village whilst his body was still weakened by heat. Also, Kakashi had been clear: he would kill any ANBU who came looking for him. That would surely attract attention and more people would go looking for him. He couldn't allow innocent people to die because of him. But at the same time, the possibility that they may catch Kakashi hurt him more than anything else. Even with everything he had done.
Once again, he wanted to cry from the frustration he was feeling. But his mind was no longer thinking logically. His duties as a shinobi were taking a back seat, and without fully realising it, he loosened his grip on Kakashi's vest, lowering his hands until they were at his sides. He was no longer going to try to push him away.
‘It's not fair...’ he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut tightly, frustrated and defeated.
He felt the alpha's breath collide with his own, seemed to pause for a moment, hesitating, before finally eliminating any distance between their lips. For Iruka, that was his point of no return. He felt like he was going to melt. He had long since accepted the fact that he would never taste those lips again, that he could only touch them in his dreams, when they were especially cruel to his heart and reminded him of what he no longer had. But there he was, returning the kiss even though he was still trembling with nerves.
At first, he thought he would have difficulty coordinating his movements, that the first kiss they shared after more than a year would be awkward, but it wasn't. Their lips moved in perfect synchrony. His scent became sweet again.
They pulled away a few centimetres when they started to run out of air and looked at each other, not daring to break the silence. Kakashi licked his lips and closed the distance again to place a short kiss on Iruka's parted lips, then another, and another, until he finally slid his tongue into Iruka's mouth, joining them in a wet kiss.
It was slow, dedicated solely to savouring each other, recognising each other. But they still couldn't lose themselves completely in each other's mouths.
The alpha pulled away again, and Iruka felt confused by his action. Suddenly, without giving him time to think, Kakashi grabbed the base of Iruka's ponytail and, with his other hand, tore Iruka's ribbon with his own kunai, causing Iruka's hair to fall like a waterfall over his shoulders. It was such a flawless move that he didn't cut a single hair, and to Kakashi's delight, Iruka's hair was longer but just as soft as the last time he saw it.
On the other hand, it all happened so fast for Iruka that he couldn't react in time. By the time he did, Kakashi had already put his kunai back in his own weapon bag, but without closing it completely. Leaving the weapon handy.
Iruka swallowed hard, his heart racing from the shock. He knew that Kakashi had always liked to see him with his hair down, but he could have simply undone the knot in the ribbon instead of cutting it like that.
But of course, Kakashi never did anything without a reason. Iruka deduced that this was a warning, reminding him in a not-so-subtle way how fast Kakashi was and for his own good, he shouldn't try anything that could complicate things. But Iruka wouldn't do anything. He had already given up.
‘Ah, much better,’ Kakashi smiled wryly as he tucked a strand of hair behind Iruka's ear. ‘See? It wasn't a difficult decision after all.’
And before Iruka could protest, Kakashi pressed his lips against his again with ravenous hunger. The desperation he conveyed was so intense that it caused Iruka to stifle a moan in the middle of the kiss. Kakashi took the opportunity to slide his tongue into the omega's mouth again. Wet and warm. To Kakashi, Iruka's mouth felt wonderful.
Iruka trembled. He hadn't realised how much he needed Kakashi's touch until the alpha decided to devour his mouth. His mind betrayed him again, reminding him of the times Kakashi had kissed him so needily after weeks of not seeing each other because of some long mission. The pain of nostalgia took hold of his chest, but not for long.
Kakashi pressed himself against his body and Iruka's knees buckled. Afraid of giving in to the weight of his own body, he clung to Kakashi's shoulders. He didn't need to open his eyes to know the look of satisfaction on the alpha's face at that moment. Besides, his scent spoke for itself.
As expected, Iruka was more sensitive because of his heat, so it was only a matter of seconds before he began to feel wet.
Whether out of instinct or embarrassment, he squeezed his thighs together, as if that could hide the arousal he felt, even though his scent and semi-erect cock gave him away.
And of course, Kakashi was not amused. He growled under his breath and in one swift movement spread Iruka's thighs apart, placing his own between them and pressing it against the omega's erection, eliciting a gasp from him.
‘You don't have to hide, Iruka,’ Kakashi teased after leaving the omega's swollen lips alone, watching him gasp for air. ‘I can't wait to eat you.’
Iruka didn't know how to respond. Part of him hated how his body reacted so naturally to Kakashi, but on the other hand, he felt so desperate that he had unconsciously started rubbing against him, seeking to calm the heat in his cock.
Kakashi decided it was time to remove the annoying clothes that prevented him from doing everything he wanted to the omega. He pulled away just enough to remove Iruka's waistcoat and shirt, throwing the clothes somewhere in the room, and without a second thought, he lunged at the omega again. Attacking his neck, kissing and sucking on it. Sending small electric shocks throughout Iruka's body. Feeling him tremble beneath him.
‘Ka-Kakashi!’ Iruka moaned, feeling weak and so aroused. He clung to the alpha again, his fingers digging into the alpha's back, sinking deeper each time Kakashi decided to suck his neck, eliciting moans of pleasure from him. His mind was too clouded to tell him to stop, to leave no marks that could give away what they were doing.
But his omega side rejoiced with happiness. Yes, please alpha, mark me.
His feet left the ground after Kakashi lifted him up, grabbing him by the hips. Instinctively, his legs clung to Kakashi's waist, fearing he might fall, even though he knew perfectly well that there was no way that could happen.
Kakashi kissed Iruka again and carried him to the bed, laying him down and then settling between his legs. It didn't take him long to resume what he was doing. Iruka's neck was calling to him so temptingly that he couldn't take his mouth away from it.
Desperate, hungry, unable to get enough of Iruka, who moaned his name so deliciously that it encouraged him to continue. But he couldn't leave the rest of his body unattended. He soon descended to the omega's chest and took one of his swollen nipples in his mouth, sucking and licking it without stopping while his free hand caressed and twisted the other nipple, just as swollen as the one on his tongue.
The heat made them much more sensitive than usual, so Iruka could only writhe with pleasure at the sensations and cling tightly to the sheets. He thought, perhaps it was because he had been suppressing his heat for so long that everything felt three times as pleasurable.
Kakashi sat up so he could better appreciate the trembling Iruka beneath him. The image was tempting, his chest, adorned with bruises and bites around his nipples, rising and falling rapidly. He could feel the wet spot on Iruka's trousers over his erection. And although he couldn't see it directly, he knew how wet the omega was. He could smell it.
‘Turn around,’ he ordered. But Iruka remained motionless, perhaps because his mind was in chaos or because he was not convinced about turning his back on Kakashi. Whatever the reason, the alpha grew impatient and decided to do it for him. And as if he were a rag doll, Kakashi moved Iruka, leaving him face down. With his chest against the sheets and his hips raised, eliciting a small cry of surprise from him. Iruka couldn't believe that for a moment he had forgotten Kakashi's ability to move him at will.
It felt like déjà vu. Memories unlocked in his mind. Before Kakashi deserted, that rough behaviour had started to become more constant, hadn't it? After a particularly difficult mission, Kakashi would come home and without saying much, fuck him against the first flat surface he came across. Rough, wild and possessive, clinging to Iruka as if he were afraid he would disappear.
Iruka returned to the present when he felt Kakashi's breath hit his ear, while he felt him lean against him and rub his erection against his buttocks.
‘What I can't understand, Iruka... How could you seem so convinced that I wasn't being possessive of you?’ Kakashi could imagine that the idea of the "real reason" for his poisoning might have been mentioned by some superior, but Kakashi was sure there was a specific name. And he wasn't going to let Iruka hide it from him, ‘After everything we've been through together, do you really think I would have let someone else claim you?’
Iruka shook his head from side to side, pressing his lips together to hold back his gasps.
‘Hmm? Then who tried to convince you otherwise?’
The omega remained silent, refusing to answer. Kakashi grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled it back, eliciting a groan of pain.
‘Give. me. a name.’
‘Mizuki.’
Kakashi let him go. Somehow, he wasn't surprised. He had never liked that beta. Mizuki always had a negative or passive-aggressive comment for Iruka.
‘And what else did he say?’ Kakashi asked coldly, ‘Did he offer to be your mate because he can't mark you?’
Iruka froze.
Kakashi growled. So he was right. He started to rubbing himself against Iruka again, releasing pheromones uncontrollably and marking his omega's body with his scent. ‘Tell me, Iruka. Did you let him fuck you?’
‘No! Never!’ He denied between moans, desperate and ashamed. With tears threatening to spill.
The only one I want is you.
Kakashi seemed satisfied. Although he knew the answer, he wanted to hear Iruka say it out loud.
‘When I return to Konoha, I will take you and Naruto with me. But first, I will kill that scumbag Mizuki.’
Iruka did not have time to respond. He let out a cry of surprise when Kakashi's fingers grabbed the edges of his trousers and underwear and pulled them down in one swift movement, exposing his entrance. Iruka clenched the sheets tightly.
He felt Kakashi's hands gripping his buttocks tightly, spreading them apart for better access to his wet, dripping hole. Kakashi licked his lips and, fulfilling what he had said moments before, showed Iruka how desperate he was to devour him.
Iruka arched his back, feeling like he was going to faint from the wave of pleasure he felt when Kakashi's tongue made contact with his entrance, licking and sucking as if there were no tomorrow.
Iruka writhed with pleasure, unable to form a sentence or even say a coherent word. If he tried, his words were interrupted by moans or broken gasps. But it wasn't as if he really needed to say anything; moaning like that so shamelessly was enough to encourage Kakashi to keep eating him out.
When Kakashi pulled away to catch his breath, Iruka felt desperate to feel him again, and then Kakashi would go back to sucking him with even more determination. The sounds of Kakashi sucking his fluids were obscene, and the fact that he did it so passionately was even more so. And as if the stimulation he was receiving wasn't enough, one of Kakashi's hands took the omega's sore cock, beginning to masturbate him quickly. Making it more slippery thanks to the pre-cum that had been dripping.
Tears began to form in the corners of Iruka's eyes, blurring his vision. The lower part of his abdomen began to tense up more and more, and his breathing became more agitated. He was so close that the mere thought of Kakashi stopping just when he was on the verge made him anxious. And without realising it, he found himself moaning the alpha's name, desperate, full of pleasure, begging him not to stop.
I'm so close. Don't stop. Please. Please.
‘Ka-Kakashi!’ was the last thing he uttered before his orgasm hit him and stained the sheets beneath him, letting out a long moan as he felt the spasms spread throughout his body.
Kakashi licked his lips, savouring the last traces of natural lubricant on them. He leaned over Iruka's body and pushed his hair aside slightly, then placed a soft kiss on the back of his neck.
‘You are so delicious,’ Kakashi murmured as he caressed Iruka's hips, gently rubbing his fingers where the marks of his hands were visible on his skin. ‘In the forest, I could smell that you were going into heat, and fuck, you have no idea how hard I had to hold back so I wouldn't knot you right there.’
Iruka shuddered, feeling his insides moisten again at the alpha's words. He had to bite his lower lip when his inner omega flooded his thoughts again, begging for a knot.
‘I know what you want, Iruka. And I'll give it to you, you know damn well I will,’ he growled against his ear, sending a shiver through the omega's body, because he knew he would deliver.
Kakashi returned to his previous position, sitting on his own heels. ‘But maybe I should prepare you a little more, shouldn't I?’ he hummed as he placed his hand on Iruka's lower back and slid it down to his buttocks. Iruka squealed in response to feeling one of Kakashi's fingers pressing against his hole.
He pressed his lips together in an attempt to suppress his own gasps as he felt the other man's finger sliding inside him. It sank in almost smoothly thanks to his natural lubrication, but there was still pressure that caused him to take several deep breaths, trying to get used to the new intrusion. It was like that until his hole was against the alpha's knuckles, and he remained in that position for a few moments, feeling him move, gently thrusting into him. At other times, Iruka relaxed and let himself be carried away by the pleasurable sensations, gradually increasing his need for more, faster, deeper. But Iruka, with his lust burning under his skin, was already desperate; it wasn't enough. He wanted everything from Kakashi.
‘M-More...’ Iruka whispered, feeling the heat rising to his face.
‘More?’ Kakashi tilted his head to one side, his voice calm but with a barely concealed playful tone. "What's the matter? Am I going too slow for you, Iruka?‘ he said, drawing out his words slowly, causing Iruka to frown.
’S-Stop mocking me, Kaka-ah!" Iruka couldn't finish cursing him when a second finger slipped inside him, eliciting another moan. The second was harder to bear, precisely because it wasn't slow like the first. His body protested and the pain was present, but not enough for him to complain aloud or ask him to slow down. And as soon as his body got used to it, a third finger joined in. The third made him see stars, because at that moment Kakashi began to stimulate his prostate, which he had been deliberately avoiding touching — because he actually knew by heart where to touch to reduce Iruka to a moaning mess — and now he couldn't stop caressing it.
If Iruka hadn't lost his mind yet, he was sure he would soon. Each caress sent tingles to his cock and travelled throughout his body to his fingertips. Just like a few minutes ago, he couldn't utter a word, only moans of pleasure that came out to the rhythm of the thrusts. If this was how it was with Kakashi's long fingers thrusting deeply, he couldn't imagine how it would be when he had the alpha inside him. Or perhaps he could imagine it, because Kakashi used to do that, leave him in a state where he could only think about being filled by his cock.
Again, the tension that formed in Iruka's lower belly warned him how close he was to reaching orgasm despite having had one a few minutes ago.
‘Cum for me, omega.’
It wasn't said as a command; somehow it sounded more like permission granted. Whatever it was, Kakashi's fingers were crushed by the walls of flesh around them when Iruka finished.
Iruka's mind again felt too clouded to pay attention to his surroundings. His eyes barely stayed open, his eyelashes wet with the tears of pleasure he had been accumulating. When Kakashi's fingers left his insides, he let out a soft moan, too sensitive and weak from his recent orgasm. Kakashi took his waist and turned him around until they were face to face again, meeting no resistance from Iruka.
Kakashi took advantage of his partner's docile behaviour and decided it was time to get more comfortable. Iruka, despite still feeling overwhelmed, could feel Kakashi bending his trembling legs enough to remove his shoes and finish taking off his trousers along with the underwear that had been hanging around his knees. And just like the shirt, they ended up somewhere on the floor in a matter of seconds.
Finally, Iruka had been stripped of all his clothes, unlike Kakashi, who had not taken off anything but his gloves since they arrived at that hideout. The image was once again... familiar. Iruka's memories, which he had once forgotten because of his own sadness, linked the image to the last few weeks before their separation.
It was the same as now. He was naked, his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat and his heaving chest covered in bite marks and bruises. While Kakashi, still dressed and still with the fresh blood of his enemies on his clothes, watched him, admiring his work of art and recording it with his sharingan.
Iruka blinked a couple of times. His sharingan. He couldn't remember when Kakashi had lifted his hitai-ate to reveal it.
Iruka's eyes inevitably turned to Kakashi's headband. Another thing that caught the attention of anyone who saw it, besides the Sharingan, was the symbol of the village crossed by a horizontal line so perfectly made that it caused a deep pain in his heart.
Iruka looked away, biting his lower lip. Feelings of guilt began to rise in his chest. He was doing something he wasn't supposed to. Even if he somehow managed to hide what had happened and no one ever found out, he knew he would be tormented by his own thoughts. He could blame his heat for clouding his judgement, but deep down he knew that wasn't the case; he really wanted to be with the alpha.
If possible, he would try to focus his gaze anywhere but straight ahead.
His body tensed when Kakashi suddenly leaned over and took his chin, firmly forcing him to look at him, eliciting a gasp of pain.
‘No,’ he growled. ‘You're going to look at it the whole time while I fuck you.’
The words were so direct that Iruka's body shuddered. Reminding him once again that the situation he was in was different from other times, that he was going through his heat with a Kakashi who was totally different from the one he knew.
But... was that really the case? Was this Kakashi very different from the one he had last seen? That darkness in his eyes... it wasn't new, and it certainly hadn't formed during the last few months before he left the village, nor did it appear after a particular mission. It had been there for a long time, even before they met. Now he could see it clearly, but he remembered that there were moments when it was barely perceptible. It was faint, but it was there.
Iruka knew this because he had always looked at Kakashi more than Kakashi thought he did. Only he pretended it was his imagination, that it was normal among shinobis, especially one who had suffered from an early age. Iruka pretended so much that he believed his own lie.
Because he loved Kakashi so much that even with that darkness in his heart, it wasn't enough to drive him away.
The sound of Kakashi's waistcoat zipper coming down brought him back to the present. Soon Kakashi's vest and shirt joined Iruka's clothes on the floor, revealing his pale skin.
Iruka knew Kakashi's body by heart, having kissed and caressed it so many times that he could easily recite the locations of Kakashi's scars. How many he had on each part of his body, which weapon had caused each mark, and even estimate their age.
There were new ones, most caused by kunais thrown from the air, and others were direct stabs resulting from hand-to-hand combat. Three on the left side, under the ribs. Two more on his left shoulder. Four very close to vital organs, but not deep enough to cause serious damage.
If there were more, Iruka couldn't count them. The omega's adrenaline immediately shot up when he felt Kakashi position between his legs, with his trousers down and his cock dripping in one of his hands.
And even though he wanted it so badly it hurt, he was still recovering. The tremor in his legs still there. He began to shake his head rapidly, pressing his hand against the alpha's chest, stopping him.
‘W-Wait, Kakashi! I-I can't—’
I can't take it yet. It's too much.
He hoped to have a little time to recover, but instead, the only response he received was:
‘You will.’
That was all Kakashi said before pressing the tip of his cock against the wet entrance. Iruka tried to pull back, but Kakashi's free hand grabbed the side of his hip with a hard firmness—which would surely leave marks—holding him in place. And then he felt it.
They both moaned in unison. Kakashi felt like he was in heaven, his cock being crushed so deliciously by Iruka's inner walls despite having prepared him beforehand drove him crazy with pleasure. He had fantasised so many nights about reuniting with his omega, and now it was finally happening. He finally had the omega where he wanted him and how he wanted him.
And Kakashi would make sure to show him how much he had missed him, and he would do it so well that Iruka would remember it until the next time they met. And then, he would surely fuck him again as soon as he got the chance.
He was still surprised at his own self-control, because he wasn't lying when he said he had to restrain himself from fucking the omega in the forest, caring little how close they were to Konoha's surveillance zone. Iruka's pheromones easily intoxicated him, making him act according to his alpha nature.
He could have fucked the omega on the grass or against a tree and making him moan with pleasure, letting the others hear how he was ruining the sensei. But he had a plan in motion, and that fantasy could not have been possible. Ironically, his more possessive side told him that no one could see Iruka in that state, no one but him had that right. If anyone had dared to even glance sideways, they would have met their death in a matter of seconds.
On the other hand, Iruka arched his back as he felt the alpha pushing his way inside him, so painfully slow but unstoppable and, it seemed, determined to go as deep as possible.
His moans came out broken, and the hand that had been on the alpha's chest ended up at his side, clutching the sheets so tightly that he was surprised he hadn't torn the fabric with his small claws. It hurt, but not so much that he couldn't bear it. The lubrication and preparation had made it more bearable, but he really needed a moment for his body to stop protesting against the intrusion.
Another broken moan escaped his lips. Kakashi had finally stopped, he was there, Iruka could feel him pressing deep. Kakashi's pelvis too close to his entrance. Oh Kami, he was full. Iruka had to take several deep breaths, trying to get used to the intrusion, quickly. Because the pain always came with a pleasure that was worth it, and he wanted it, everything in him demanded it.
His body craved this so much. He remembered his last heat, how he had to masturbate thinking about his partner'—ex-partner's?—cock to feel even a little satisfied. But nothing could compare to the real life, Kakashi's cock pressing every spot inside him, making him tremble, and when he moved? It would be even more than feeling like he was in heaven.
Kakashi didn't seem to have any intention of moving yet, which would give him time. But that didn't mean he was going to sit around doing nothing, not when he could take advantage of the situation to appreciate him. The alpha leaned in, getting so close to the Iruka's face that both breaths collided.
‘It's been so long since we saw each other...’ Kakashi's hands slid over the omega's body, gently rubbing the marks that formed on his hips, adoring him. ‘And yet you took me so well.’
Yes, I'm a good omega, I'll always be ready to receive you. That was the first thing Iruka thought, but he was still too embarrassed to say it out loud. Even during heat, Iruka remained stubborn, but that didn't last long. They both knew it was only a matter of minutes—if not seconds—before he would finally give in. And Kakashi would make sure that Iruka surrendered to his primitive side completely.
The alpha attacked his neck again without giving him a chance to process it, once more Iruka's skin was the victim of bites and bruises left along its length. And there was a particularly tempting area at the junction between the omega's neck and shoulder, where the scent was much more intense, calling him to sink his fangs into the tender flesh. Kakashi did not bite, but he did make sure to suck on it.
‘D-Don't make them so high up!’ Iruka managed to say between gasps after finally putting together a coherent thought, placing his hands on the alpha's shoulders to try to push him away from his neck. But it was useless; Kakashi did not move from his spot. Instead, he took Iruka's wrists and placed them on either side of his head, interlocking his fingers and holding him motionless against the mattress.
‘You're in no position to give me orders, Iruka. Not when I'm controlling myself so as not to claim you right now.’
Iruka's eyes widened. Kakashi had a knack for leaving him speechless, swallowing his own saliva. He couldn't help but curse him in his mind, because he too was controlling himself so as not to demand Kakashi to bite him once and for all.
‘I... hmp!’ He was surprised by a voracious kiss, the same one that had made his knees tremble when Kakashi had him against the wall of the room. Iruka quickly forgot what he had planned to say, perhaps it was a protest or a plea, whatever it was, it was lost somewhere in his mind. Now he was too busy returning the kiss with the same need that Kakashi conveyed to him.
And soon that need began to grow. Kakashi's hands caressing his body, his lips on his, his scent mingling with his own, all of it drove him crazy, but he was ambitious, he wanted more. He needed the alpha to fuck him.
‘Ka-Kakashi, please,’ he begged softly in the middle of the kiss, still with a certain embarrassment causing his cheeks to flush—as if he hadn't begged more brazenly and obscenely in the past—
‘Please? Be more specific, Iruka," he replied casually as his kisses trailed back down the omega's neck. Oh, how difficult it was to provoke the omega when he himself wanted to bend him over and start fucking him. On another occasion, they might have started a game of endurance, to see who would give in first to the other's provocations, but they would have that opportunity another time. Very soon, Kakashi hoped.
Iruka moaned, moving his hips against Kakashi's pelvis, seeking more friction, letting out small moans. He received a warning growl ordering him to stay still, but Kakashi's hands were still intertwined with his. If he had really wanted him to stop, he would have done so. Iruka continued to move despite the warning, wrapping one of his legs around the alpha's waist, pulling him closer. The position meant he couldn't move much, but the friction was enough to make the alpha groan softly.
‘Please, please, please. I can't wait any longer,’ Iruka begged, not caring how pathetic he looked, his body burning with need.
‘Do you want it that much?’ Kakashi brought his hands to the omega's waist, clinging to his skin. ‘Fine.’
Kakashi withdrew, and Iruka couldn't even complain about the emptiness he felt when Kakashi sank back into him, eliciting a moan of pleasure so loud that it echoed throughout the room. The delicious sensation travelled throughout the omega's body, causing his toes to curl and his back to arch.
Kakashi started at a moderate pace, too out of control to go slow and then gradually increase the speed as he was supposed to. A moderate pace was all the alpha could offer before he really made use of his strength as an elite shinobi and took the omega as he desired. Kakashi couldn't think of anything but Iruka and his sinful expressions, moaning alongside the omega.
How could he have been separated from his omega for over a year without going completely mad? At that moment, he didn't know. Perhaps his more reasonable side had a real justification, but now, he didn't believe there was one.
Iruka, on the other hand, couldn't help thinking about the first time they had sex, remembering Kakashi moving so carefully and restraining his strength as if he were handling an object that could break at the slightest breeze. Attentive to every expression he made, trying to decipher any sign of pain or discomfort.
Very different from this wild and ruthless Kakashi who had his hands embedded in his waist. Entering and exiting his insides without even stopping to check if he was being too rough—although he didn't need to, Iruka's moans weren't exactly ones of pain—and breaking his mind, reducing him to nothing more than a hole to fuck.
‘Have you really missed me that much, my love?’ said Kakashi, moaning ‘it seems like you can’t wait for me to breed you.’
Kakashi smiled at Iruka’s embarrassed expression; he didn’t need to read his thoughts –his body spoke for him. With that pretty look on the omega’s face, Kakashi quickened the pace of his thrusts, letting his wilder side take hold of him.
He was going to ruin that beautiful omega of his.
Kakashi's eyes remained on Iruka's face, his sharingan spinning, recording the new image of the omega melting beneath him. Iruka could barely look at him, the stimulation he was receiving was so intense that he had trouble keeping his eyes open
Iruka couldn't think properly. It was definitely nothing compared to when he had to masturbate during his last heat. That exquisite pleasure that only Kakashi could give him after so much time exploring his body.
Kakashi still seemed to remember how Iruka liked to be fucked: face to face. Because that way Iruka could appreciate his partner's expressions of pleasure. Because he could kiss him as many times as he wanted without having to bend into a strange position to do so. And above all, because he liked being able to cling to his alpha's body.
Although the latter was not something Kakashi expected Iruka to do, he could feel the omega's hands loosen before clinging much more tightly to the fabric of the sheets, as if hesitating to carry out what he wanted. Kakashi did not comment on this, instead continuing to penetrate the omega.
Kakashi put his hands back on either side of Iruka's head to thrust with more precision, bending Iruka over enough so that his knees were almost at chest level and continuing to pound into him. Faster. Deeper. Iruka, of course, felt like he was in heaven.
‘Ka-Kakashi!’ The alpha's name came out in a particularly high-pitched moan. So Kakashi had finally taken pity on him and decided to start hitting that hypersensitive spot, sending pleasurable electricity with every thrust.
Don't stop, give me more, fuck me until I can't take it anymore.
Due to the overstimulation Iruka was feeling, tears began to well up in his eyes, but that wasn't what caught the alpha's attention—although seeing his partner crying from overstimulation certainly turned him on—but rather, from one moment to the next, Iruka's small claws clung to Kakashi's back. Oh, finally, his beloved was embracing him.
Kakashi couldn't resist wrapping his arm around the omega's waist and pulling him even closer to him.
Kakashi moaned as he felt the omega's nails digging into his skin, leaving red lines with every movement, causing a pleasant burning sensation. He couldn't help but feel delighted.
Because there was nothing he loved more than the marks his omega left on him. Especially if they were so deep that they hurt him, even though Iruka had told him several times to let him know when he was hurting him with his nails, because he was so overwhelmed with pleasure that he couldn't realise his own strength. But Kakashi could only think about how incredible it felt. It was the kind of pain he always want to receive from Iruka.
‘Ka-Kakashi, ple-please! I- ah!’ How difficult it was for the poor omega to say what he wanted when every time he opened his mouth he was interrupted by his own cries. He might well have thought that the alpha was doing it on purpose to annoy him, and he was not wrong. But Kakashi decided to be ‘kind’ and speak, already knowing that it was what Iruka wanted.
‘Do you want my knot, Iruka?’ he asked quietly, close enough that his breath hit the omega's ear. He slowed down his thrusts so that his own voice wouldn't come out so broken.
Iruka nodded shyly, but with desperation resonating in every fibre of his being.
‘Then beg for it.’
Iruka barely had time to process it before he was rammed into again quickly. He sobbed, wanting to speak but his own voice prevented him, if he tried to speak only incoherent babbling came out. His mind was so clouded that he could only beg internally for Kakashi not to stop.
Finally, he reached a point where he had to force himself to gather his thoughts in order to finally speak.
‘Please, please! I can't wait anymore!’ said Iruka with tears in his eyes, ‘I want your knot, alpha!’
That last word stirred something in Kakashi that had an immediate effect. His pupils dilated and his fangs began to itch. That plea sounded so delicious that he almost automatically moved his hips wildly against Iruka, feeling his own abdomen tense. He was going to give his knot to his omega, damn it, he would give it to him every time Iruka asked for it, no matter where they were. Kakashi was born as an alpha just to please him.
Iruka rested his forehead against Kakashi's shoulder, his nails still clinging to the alpha's back. He wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer, his orgasm was coming any moment, he could feel it close.
Bite me. Mark me. Make me yours. Those were the words repeating in Iruka's head, completely forgetting any consequences that might come of it, he just wanted to be claimed by his alpha.
His most primitive side made him turn his head to one side, exposing the length of his neck and giving him complete access to it. The message was clear.
‘Alpha...’ he pleaded weakly between moans, looking at him with eyes so pleading that Kakashi found himself leaning over the omega's neck. Iruka's scent, as addictive as ever, had intensified. Everything about the omega screamed for him to take him, to claim him.
Kakashi opened his mouth just enough for his fangs to show, protruding like a vampire's and ready to sink into the omega's neck. He was so close, he just had to lean a little further and finally Iruka would be his. Finally they would be bonded. All those talks they had had about the bond were finally going to come true.
And then Kakashi saw it, almost invisible, but the sharingan could distinguish it perfectly. A tiny dot in the middle of where Iruka's scent gland was. It wasn't a mole. It wasn't something Iruka was born with. It was something that actually spread throughout Iruka's body and that he had placed there. He stopped, barely digging the tips of his teeth into the omega's neck.
He growled to himself in frustration. He almost did something that could have complicated things, not only for himself, but for Iruka.
‘Not yet, omega.’
And before Iruka could protest, Kakashi kissed him hard, desperately. Hoping that Iruka's battered and swollen lips could appease his need to mark him at that moment. Feeling his heart ache as he sensed sadness from the omega. Kami, he was going to make it up to him somehow, he would do everything he could to do so.
‘Ka-Kakashi...’
The alpha forced himself to pull away to avoid falling into temptation again. He couldn't allow it, nor could he let Iruka ask questions. He moved, sitting in a position where his knees were pinned to the mattress and Iruka's hips were in the air, held so firmly by his hands that it would be impossible for Iruka to want to separate, although of course that thought would never cross his mind.
The change in position undoubtedly took Iruka by surprise. He wanted to speak again, but this time it was impossible for him. Soon he forgot why he had felt disappointed just a moment ago.
Kakashi's cock started to thrust so deliciously deep that he could only writhe with pleasure. It all felt too much for him. He could feel it, not just his own orgasm, but the knot forming inside him. And to check, he looked at his own abdomen, letting out a silent gasp as he saw a bulge moving rapidly beneath the skin and becoming more and more prominent. He wanted it, he craved it, please alpha, breed me!
‘I-Iruka...’ Kakashi moaned raggedly, his grip tightening even though his body was shaking. He was about to cum. He thrust into the omega about three more times before his knot prevented him from moving, burying himself deep inside the omega and coming hard, filling him. Iruka's orgasm was not long in coming either, arriving with a long moan, and so intense that Kakashi felt Iruka's inner walls milking him, taking every drop of his semen without leaving anything wasted.
Iruka was trembling, the spasms in his body had not taken long to appear. He found it difficult to regulate his own breathing despite taking gasps of air. His mind was completely blank, and the ringing in his ears was slowing down more slowly than he remembered it doing. He was really a mess.
His body shuddered when Kakashi moved, sitting back on his heels, also breathing heavily, staring at him. The alpha couldn't look away. His hands travelled to the omega's waist, grabbing it and pressing down as he pushed his hips forward, as if trying to go deeper than he already was. Iruka let out a broken moan.
‘N-No, it's too much, too deep,’ the omega stammered, small tears in his eyes. He was completely overstimulated.
‘You can take it, you always can, you're so good at taking everything I give you, omega.’
The need to mark him was still present in Kakashi, but he was gradually leaving his wild side behind, he allowed himself to get closer to Iruka again. He leaned down to kiss him again, even with his breathing still agitated, he couldn't resist. The omega's lips were his greatest addiction.
Iruka responded as best he could, still feeling dizzy. He would have to wait several minutes before the knot subsided. We should make ourselves more comfortanle, he thought. And from that thought came the memory of what they had just done, and it echoed in the omega's head.
Of course, the effect of heat would also pass soon. The biggest indicator was the clarity that was appearing in his head as the minutes passed. Along with it came several thoughts, all at once, too strong.
What have you done, Iruka?
Did you let your feelings get the better of you again? Are you going to take responsibility or are you just going to justify yourself by saying that it was your heat that prevented you from thinking straight? Maybe Mizuki was right after all, they should have kept you locked up in a cell because, look, it was just as he said, Kakashi showed up and the first thing you did was spread your legs for him without caring that he's the enemy.
Iruka felt as if he had been hit with a bucket of cold water. Shit, what was he going to do? He wasn't a traitor; he loved his village. But he had just slept with Kakashi Hatake, the same man who had killed two innocent shinobi while fleeing, who had finished off the ANBU who were after him, the man who had poisoned him.
His gaze met the alpha's again. Once more, he had that expressionless and intimidating look with his sharingan exposed. Iruka trembled. What would Kakashi do to him? He didn't want to know, he didn't want to hear him say something that would surely break his heart. He looked away, until something caught his attention.
The handle of the kunai that Kakashi had used to cut his ribbon was sticking out of the bag on Kakashi's leg. Indeed, his bag had not been closed; Kakashi had left the kunai handy, but not for the reason Iruka thought.
It was only a few inches from his hand, so close that it seemed like a trap, but he knew it wasn't. It was there on purpose for Iruka.
‘Why don't you take it, Iruka?’ Kakashi asked in a voice that was too calm, ‘After all, I can't move. This is your chance to end this once and for all.’
Iruka turned to look at him in shock, unable to believe what he had just heard. He... couldn't have mean it seriously.
But nothing in Kakashi's eyes indicated any hint of a trap or a cruel joke. Iruka opened his mouth to say something, but finding himself unable to speak, he closed it again and bit his lower lip, trying to hold back the urge to cry. Guilt gnawed at him for not being able to kill the man he loved. He couldn't do it. Even if Kakashi forced him to take the kunai, he would rather die first.
He remained silent. He turned his gaze to the right and looked at the cold wall next to the bed. There was no need to say anything else; he wasn't going to do such a thing. Soon the tears began to fall, one after another, sinking into guilt.
He closed his eyes, feeling pathetic. He didn't know if it was right to close his eyes in front of Kakashi, but at that point his heart hurt too much to worry about letting his guard down.
Iruka felt Kakashi's hands took his cheeks, caressing them gently, wiping away his tears. He felt him leaning towards him. His breath stopped for a few seconds and his heart fluttered. The next thing he felt was Kakashi kissing his tears away gently.
They stayed like that for a while. Kakashi kissing him and Iruka responding even though his emotions were conflicting. They caressed each other until Kakashi's knot finally subsided. That made Iruka anxious again. What would happen next? It didn't take long for him to get an answer. Kakashi carefully withdrew from inside Iruka and held him against his chest while he threw the sheet, stained with their fluids, on the floor. Then he laid them down, Kakashi hugging Iruka as he curled up on his chest.
They allowed themselves to enjoy each other's warmth for a moment, in silence. There had been several moments like this before, when they would lie there embracing each other and the only sound was their breathing in unison. It was a very pleasant moment, especially when they didn't have to worry about Iruka having class the next day or Kakashi having a mission.
But the situation was different now, wasn't it?
Iruka was the least able to ignore the situation, not when he had so many questions gnawing at his mind, not when the answers he received were not informative enough to satisfy him.
‘I just don't understand. Why did you leave?’ Why did you abandon me? was what he really wanted to ask. ‘I had so many doubts... I thought I really knew you and, I don't know, I didn't even want to think about how much you were pretending. Even if everyone around me told me that you were just using me,’ Iruka trembled, the memories were causing a great pain in his heart. ‘You know what the worst part is? That despite everything... I couldn't hate you, I can't hate you.’
He felt Kakashi's hand on his back, gently caressing him.
‘I'll never forgive you for what you did to me,’ the omega murmured with pain and anger in his voice. Kakashi's caresses did not stop.
‘I know,’ he replied in a calm voice but without sounding arrogant, as if he had long since accepted that he would not have the omega's forgiveness. ‘But you need to know something, Iruka, and that is that I will do what I should have done a long time ago.’
Kakashi took a deep breath, ready to continue, ‘When we are far away from everything and everyone, I will claim you as mine and recognise Naruto as my pup, in honour of my sensei. No one will lay a finger on you, nothing and no one will ever take anything away from me again.’
Iruka looked up in surprise, meeting Kakashi's gaze. There was no doubt in his eyes. His determination was so strong that it was frightening. Once again, he found himself at a loss for words. Was he just planning to take them away? Just like that? Had everything Kakashi had done… been for us?
He should be relieved that Kakashi wasn't planning to destroy the village. But his mind was in chaos again. He could refuse, Naruto could refuse.
‘How do you know I won't run away?’
Kakashi didn't answer right away. Instead, he raised his hand and brought it to the back of Iruka's head, pushing him against his chest, holding him tightly—but without hurting him.
‘You wouldn't leave Naruto alone. And above all...’ He placed a soft kiss on the omega's crown. ‘You can't escape me.’
The tone was calm, it didn't sound like a threat. Just an absolute statement that they both knew was true. Iruka would only have the option of going with Kakashi willingly or by force.
He didn't dare ask when. Instead, Iruka sank into Kakashi's chest.
‘Tell me, Iruka... Did you really not notice anything?’ It wasn't a question asked with the intention of getting a “yes” or ‘no’ answer. Kakashi knew that Iruka knew, he knew that Iruka had noticed the darkness in his heart and yet he had never said anything about it—and in part he was grateful for that, because Iruka, like him, could not walk away. Iruka knew him perfectly well. ‘Are you going to tell me that you never noticed that in the last few weeks I was on the brink of the abyss?’
As he expected, he got no answer. Only the scent of Iruka conveying guilt, acknowledging that indeed, he had always been aware of everything, but that he had deceived his own mind so that his heart would not suffer from the choice between the place he loved and his partner. Because he knew that, deep down, he would always choose Kakashi.
He felt Kakashi's breath close to his face, so close that it made his cheeks tingle.
‘I love you, Iruka. More than anything,’ he murmured against his ear, so sincere and devoted that it tightened his chest, it hurt. ‘Tell me you love me too. Please, I want to hear it. I need to hear it,’ begged the alpha, burying his face in the omega's neck.
Iruka still had so much to say, but none of that mattered anymore. All he could think about was the alpha trembling against him. He brought his hands around to his back and hugged him, feeling as if he could melt into his alpha's body. His anger, his sadness, everything was cast aside. He let his sincerity and love come to the surface.
‘I love you too, Kakashi.’
Iruka slowly opened his eyes. There was no daylight to bother him, but he couldn't help feeling a certain discomfort that he couldn't identify. He blinked a couple of times, trying to remember when he had fallen asleep. The last thing he remembered was talking to Kakashi. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and...
Kakashi.
He sat up abruptly, immediately noticing the empty space beside him. What a familiar scene, he thought. He couldn't help but clench the sheets with a certain amount of anger. Of course Kakashi wasn't going to stay with him, but let's be honest... what would he have said? ‘Good morning’? That wasn't a possibility. Not when their status hadn't changed, they were still a village shinobi and a traitor, sharing the same bed.
...right?
He hugged his knees, hiding his face between them. What was he going to do?
He closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to smell Kakashi's scent one last time — which he knew deep down wasn't true.—
Suddenly, a memory popped into his mind that made him jump out of bed, naked.
If he didn't hurry, an ANBU would soon come looking for him!
He dressed as best he could —ignoring the pain in his hips— and looked for his hitai-ate, which he remembered had fallen on the floor at some point. He despaired when he couldn't find it anywhere, until his gaze fell on the desk where his band was carefully arranged. He sighed with relief and brought it up to his face, using the reflection of the bandage as a mirror. Although the image was blurry due to wear and tear, it served its purpose. A green light came out of his free hand, revealing medical ninjutsu. He wasn't an expert, in fact he was far from being one, but years of experience healing bruises that pre-genin got during training helped him heal his own.
He did not have the ability to heal everything, but as long as he could heal the marks that were visible to the naked eye, such as the marks on his neck, it would suffice. He brought his bandage closer and noticed from the reflection that, in fact, there were no marks.
What?
He brought the bandage closer, thinking that perhaps it was too far away to reflect his skin, but again, it only reflected smooth skin. As if nothing that happened last night had actually happened. But the idea that ‘it was just a very realistic dream’ was untenable, simply because deep down — literally and figuratively — he knew that what had happened was real and not part of a dream or the effects of a genjutsu.
Well, it seemed that Kakashi had taken the trouble to heal his bruises while he slept.
To be sure, he left his hitai-ate on the desk and lifted his own shirt to expose his chest. Again, no marks, no bruises or bites. There were also no finger marks on the sides of his waist where Kakashi had grabbed him tightly.
He felt his face flush at the sudden memory.
‘I have to get out of here,’ he said to himself, rearranging his shirt as it had been before. His vest and armband remained in his hand; he would arrange his uniform properly and find something to tie his hair back with on the way to the village. His gaze focused on the half-open door in front of him. He held his breath for a few seconds and moved forward stealthily. He didn't think he would find Kakashi there. The absence of his scent told him that Kakashi had left hours before he woke up.
As he left the room, a long corridor stretched out before him, with a point of light at the end indicating the exit. He walked to the end but remained on guard, looking around from time to time. Like the room, it was just a pile of cold stones stacked surprisingly well, giving the impression of being a solid place. It was lit by a couple of torches. Remembering his conversation with Kakashi, he wondered who the place belonged to.
He had mentioned a snake, hadn't he?
But before he could think more about their conversation, the light at the end became so bright that it blinded him a little. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw that the sky was clear. From the position of the sun, he deduced that it was barely eight in the morning. Perhaps if he hurried, he could return to the village in time. But there was a problem: he had to get his bearings before he could choose a path.
He was about to do so when he heard the sound of running water a few metres away, a river. If he remembered correctly, he had crossed one when they were chasing him. Perhaps if he found the remains of some of their traps, he could easily find his way. But before doing all that, he had to take a bath first. He had no soap or anything like that, it was just going to be a bath to get rid of any smell that might give him away, because he didn't think it would dissipate completely in the eight hours it would take to walk to the village. On the other hand, if he was lucky, the scent of Kakashi on his clothes would be gone by the time he reached Konoha.
He took a step forward and something glittered beneath him. He reflexively stepped back, having activated a seal without realising it. Smoke appeared out of nowhere and a corpse appeared on the ground. If he hadn't been a shinobi trained in stealth, Iruka would have let out a scream.
His first thought was that it looked terrible. The corpse's face was frozen in the last expression it had made before dying: a combination of surprise and terror. Its body didn't look any better, with kunais and shuriken in strategic places that caused paralysis. But what was most striking was the hole in its chest, with burnt skin around it.
A gift from Kakashi.
From his clothes, he recognised him as a ninja of the Mist, although if he was honest, he was almost certain that he had not been involved in the pursuit with the other ninjas. He moved closer to get a better look and suddenly remembered that in the Bingo book, the group of mercenaries were not three, but four, and the corpse in front of him was the leader.
The seal had not been placed there by chance, and he didn't have to be a genius to understand the message. He knelt down and began searching the ninja's pockets, not knowing exactly what he was looking for, but sure that there was something Kakashi wanted him to see.
Finally, his hands found a poorly kept scroll. He examined its contents and found something he definitely hadn't imagined he would read. It was information, both about the mission he had been assigned and about himself, describing his abilities and weaknesses, highlighting his echolocation, which not many people knew about. And he did not understand how these enemy ninjas had information about that particular ability, along with a photo of him adorning the corner, the same one he had in his ninja record. A little further down was a map indicating the route he had to take to the cave, then some landmarks of where and when to attack.
They weren't after the scroll, Iruka. They were after you.
That's what Kakashi had said and Iruka didn't want to believe him, because he refused to think that someone within the village had set a trap for him. But the evidence was there.
And then, doubts began to arise in him. First about his own safety, then ‘What if Kakashi put those scrolls there?’ But it was impossible, even with Kakashi's skills, he couldn't have forged a mission scroll, nor could he have sneaked into the village so easily. Besides, he could recognise his silver hair anywhere, and the ANBU who gave him the scroll had white hair. —also a hostile voice, very familiar.—
He sighed in frustration. He didn't know what to do. Apparently, he wasn't as safe in the village as he thought.
He left the scroll where he had found it, not knowing if it was a good idea or not. If he took it with him as proof that he had been set up, there would be questions about how he got it, which would lead to the corpse pierced by a chidori and... well, they would simply put two and two together. On the other hand, he could pretend that he hadn't found anything or anyone on his way home, that his delay was due to a sudden rain shower that had caused him to lose a day, and that he had accidentally gotten confused and strayed from the path — which was partly true.
That was easier to explain. Once he had made up his mind, he went to the river a few metres away. Five minutes should be enough. He undressed on the bank and got into the water as quickly as possible. The water was so surprisingly clean that he almost felt a little sorry to have to wash himself there, but it was necessary if he wanted to avoid questions. He submerged himself until the water covered the top of his head. Then he scrubbed himself enough until he no longer felt sticky, which as he thought, took no more than five minutes.
When he surfaced, the first thing he noticed was his clothes neatly folded on a rock.
He raised an eyebrow, almost certain he had left them lying on the grass. Curious, he picked up the clothes and immediately knew from their texture that they were not the shinobi uniform he had been wearing a few minutes ago. But the fabric was certainly not new. He pressed his nose against the fabric of his shirt and inhaled.
It had his own scent. It was old, almost imperceptible, but it was there. And as if that weren't enough, a white hair tie with black stripes fell from the shirt, one he thought he had lost long ago. Then everything fell into place like pieces of a puzzle.
Damn Kakashi! No wonder he could never find his favorite hair tie or knew why one of his uniforms was missing. He had taken them when he deserted.
He sighed deeply in an attempt to calm down and decided that this was not the time to complain. The only logical explanation he could find was that Kakashi had gotten confused when he left and taken his uniform instead of his own—and perhaps the hair tie had been left in his pocket—although he could also have taken it on purpose to keep his scent close.
He shook his head quickly in an attempt to dispel those thoughts. Enough. He wasn't going to let himself get carried away by that.
‘I still don't forgive you,’ he said aloud and not hiding his annoyance. Although he doubted whether Kakashi was still close enough to hear him or not. The leaves of the trees around him rustled.
Good, he had been heard.
He got dressed as quickly as he could, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of the fabric against his damp skin. Then, using his own fingers as a comb, he smoothed his hair into his characteristic hairstyle. He was ready to go back.
He climbed a tree until he reached the highest branch, where he had a panoramic view of the forest. It wasn't very difficult for him to determine where he was, surprisingly not far from where he had first encountered Kakashi. He made a mental note of the path he had to take to return to the main road that would lead him straight to Konoha, and propelled himself through the branches.
Cat sent more chakra to his feet to propel himself forward with greater speed, following the scent of Iruka; it was faint but strong enough for him to follow his trail. At times like this, he was grateful that he had developed the same sense of smell as an alpha despite being a beta, as it allowed him to find people more quickly. As he let himself be guided by the chūnin's scent, he reviewed the latest events in his mind before leaving Konoha. The Hokage had been told that Iruka had left the village because of a mission, which had naturally set off alarm bells for the Third Hokage, who had ordered that although Iruka could accept missions since the academy was closed for holidays, he was not allowed to go on missions alone — ‘For safety's sake,’ had been the Hokage's words. It wasn't as if he suspected Iruka might desert or anything like that.
Seeking an explanation, the Hokage called the chūnins Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo, who were supposed to be guarding the entrance gate when Iruka left the village, but when they arrived and were questioned about the situation, they both looked at each other in surprise and replied that their shift had been changed at the last minute to the following day. Of course, it had caught their attention, but it wasn't the first time they had received a shift change without prior notice.
Everything was... strange. Who was the ANBU who gave Iruka the mission? Who were Hagane and Kamizuki's replacements? Something smelled terribly wrong, and from his experience... Everything pointed to Danzo being involved.
Things had been strange in the village for some time, not to the public eye but to those in more important positions. Information was going missing, ANBUs were disappearing mysteriously, and then there was Shimura's insistence on pointing the finger at one culprit: Kakashi Hatake.
Cat had his own theories, but he couldn't share them with anyone else at the moment. He knew Kakashi wasn't entirely innocent — after all, he had killed two shinobi when he fled, and left one alive on purpose to confirm his identity — but he also didn't believe Danzo's lies to divert attention to him. And certainly, he hoped no one else did. But pointing the finger at someone had always been easier for the villagers.
Not only that, but unlike the others, he didn't believe Kakashi had been pretending during his relationship with the sensei. Of course he knew Kakashi was weird and struggled to express his emotions, but from the little Kakashi had shared with him, it was clear he was deeply in love.
Perhaps too deeply. And that was partly what led him to defect.
At first, it didn't make sense. One would expect someone like Iruka— that is, an omega— to keep him stable. And Kakashi, taking advantage of their relationship, could get close to the son of his sensei Minato and guide him. Because he remembered that was one of Kakashi's wishes, to get close to Naruto. Even if the high command had instructed him to keep his distance from the jinchūriki. But the more he thought about it... perhaps deserting was inevitable for Kakashi.
Cat didn't know what Kakashi had been doing since he left the village. But he had a theory that Kakashi was planning to take Iruka and Naruto somewhere far away.
He hadn't mentioned it to anyone because he didn't have a solid basis for his arguments. It was all based on observation and the few moments when Kakashi had spoken about his feelings.
And to be honest, he didn't feel he could trust anyone in the high command enough to share his theories. Currently, the only person he felt he could trust in the village was Gai, with whom it was perhaps time to share his concerns. More than once, Gai had kindly offered his company to talk.
He stopped in his tracks the moment he smelled dried blood near where he was standing. He landed on the ground and searched for the source of the scent, finding the corpse of a ninja from the Mist.
He examined the man, who could not have been dead for more than twelve hours, and from the position of his body, he appeared to have fallen from the top of the trees around him. Cat sniffed the air and identified two more corpses further ahead. He approached to examine them quickly and, like the first, they appeared to have fallen from a great height, and what they had in common was a deep cut across their throats. There was nothing to explain why they were in enemy territory or how they had managed to get in.
He didn't need to think long to deduce who was responsible for these murders, and it wasn't that he underestimated Iruka's abilities, but so much time under Kakashi's guidance had helped him identify his way of attacking.
So the rumours were true, Kakashi was in this area. He just hoped that Iruka hadn't run into him or, worse still, that Kakashi hadn't gone after him. If he was lucky, he might find Iruka before that happened.
He climbed onto the branch of the nearest tree and began jumping, rushing towards Iruka's scent, which was growing stronger. Fortunately for him, he spotted the chūnin in the distance, standing on a huge branch and catching his breath. To his surprise, he seemed too deep in thought to notice his presence. His suspicion was confirmed when he teleported next to the chūnin and the latter jumped, almost alarmed, until he recognised that it was a ninja from the Leaf.
‘A-ANBU-san!’ Iruka exclaimed as he bowed. Cat shifted uncomfortably at the sensei's formality, then reminded himself that although he knew him from his conversations with Kakashi, Iruka had no idea who Cat was.
‘Registration number.’
‘011850,’ Iruka replied almost automatically, nervously.
‘Good,’ Cat glanced around, glad he was wearing a mask so the chūnin couldn't see how paranoid he was feeling. ‘Umino Iruka, you received a C-rank mission, didn't you?’
‘That's right.’
‘And according to the Hokage's instructions, you are not allowed to leave the village alone. Yet you accepted the mission on your own.’ Although his tone of voice was that of someone distant, he really tried not to sound accusatory. The poor chūnin probably had no idea that Danzo had his eye on him. Not only because of his former relationship with his senpai, but also because of his closeness to the jinchūriki.
‘I... planned to request an audience with the Hokage and tell him how I ended up on this mission.’
To Cat, he sounded sincere. But first, he needed to verify a few things.
‘I want to see the scroll with the details of your mission.’
Iruka didn't take two seconds to give it to him. Cat unfolded the scroll and gave it a quick read. Everything was in place, Umino Iruka's name at the top as the assigned ninja, the information indicating the location of the sealed scroll, and at the bottom of it all, the seals indicating that it was a mission approved to be carried out. It was a normal mission, nothing that would attract attention, except perhaps the tediousness of travelling thousands of kilometres just for a scroll, but he assumed that whoever was behind this needed Iruka far away and at the same time close to the area where Kakashi was rumoured to be.
‘Were you able to retrieve the scroll you were entrusted with?’ Cat asked curiously. He should have done so, as Iruka was on his way to the village when he found it. The chūnin nodded and took the other scroll out of his waistcoat. Cat leaned in to look at it closely; it seemed authentic. He was about to ask Iruka if he had had any problems on his way back when suddenly a chill ran down his spine.
He felt cold sweat running down his cheek. He recognised that feeling. They were being watched from afar. He swallowed hard and moved away from the chūnin, not abruptly to try to hide his behaviour, but if one paid attention, there was a tremor in his fingers that he couldn't control.
‘Right, keep it safe, we must hurry back to the village.’
‘Understood,’ Iruka put the scrolls back inside his waistcoat. But before continuing, he called his attention again. ‘ANBU-san?’
‘What is it?’
‘Why did they send you to find me? I mean, I know I'm behind schedule, but it hasn't been forty-eight hours yet.’
Cat fell silent. What exactly should he say? He hadn't discussed it with the Hokage. Should he tell him about the fact that Kakashi was nearby? That, in fact, they were being watched by him at that very moment?
He parted his lips once he had decided what to say, but his words got stuck in his mouth when a familiar scent reached his nose. It was Kakashi's. But it was coming from... Iruka.
‘ANBU-san?’ Iruka looked at him confused, not knowing why the ninja had suddenly fallen silent. He was almost certain he hadn't asked for classified information.
Cat's worst fear had come true. Kakashi had found Iruka. But Iruka didn't seem to be hurt or frightened, nor did he seem to have been running away when Kakashi found him. Indeded, for a few moments he had looked lost and seemed lost in his thoughts, but wasn't that how all shinobi behaved?
Kakashi, you idiot! That omega is marked with your scent! He'll be lucky if it disappears before we reach the village.
Cat felt his mouth go dry. He decided not to ask any questions and to carry on as if nothing had happened. Whatever had happened between them was none of his business; he just had to take care of Iruka's safety as best he could.
And he had already failed by letting him leave the village on a mission, alone. Of course Kakashi wasn't going to be happy at all! And although his senpai had never explicitly ordered him to look after Iruka in his absence, he knew he had to. He just didn't expect everything to happen while he was patrolling in another area. After all, he wasn't a fortune teller.
‘Because of your... situation, the Hokage decided to shorten the waiting time. Although he sensed that you might have been delayed because of the rain.’
In fact, it wasn't entirely a lie. But he wasn't going to reveal any more, nor was he going to mention that he knew Iruka had had an encounter with Kakashi, simply because he didn't want to get even more involved than he already was. Besides, he could still feel the sharingan staring at his back.
‘Oh, yes, that. It was just the rain.’
They both held each other's gaze, both knowing that the other was hiding the truth, but neither said anything about it. After a few seconds, they nodded and set off straight for the village. At one point, Iruka looked down, fearing he would find corpses, but was surprised to find nothing. Cat, on the other hand, pretended not to notice Iruka's curious gaze and carried on.
Of course Kakashi was going to clean up his crime scene; he wasn't going to leave anything behind that could incriminate Iruka. And in a way, he was grateful that he did, because that way he himself would not be caught up in questioning.
Kakashi leaned his back against the tree trunk. Even sitting down, he could see from that height how Iruka and Tenzo were speeding away until they were nothing more than a dot in the distance. As he used his fingers to play with the hair tie that Iruka seemed to have forgotten he had as a spare in his waistcoat, he sighed heavily. In part, he was grateful that he had been lucky and that Tenzo had been the ANBU sent to look for Iruka. If it had been someone else, things would have been very different, especially if it had been an alpha. He didn't think he would have been able to control himself if he had seen one near Iruka. On the other hand, he couldn't help but scold himself for losing control the night before.
So many self-imposed rules, so much self-control not to go looking for Iruka on the loneliest nights, when the memory of Iruka's warmth overwhelmed him to the point of hallucinating his voice. All that broke down when he smelled his scent in the distance.
At first, he thought it was another hallucination; he had already learned not to trust his mind at night, but the scent felt so close that he couldn't resist and came out of his hiding place, just to check, he had told himself. He had climbed some trees to get a better view, and there he saw him: running away, completely desperate. His scent conveying the anguish of an omega in danger. Helpless because of a heat that was slowly taking over his body.
Kakashi couldn't remember exactly what made his body react before his mind. Maybe it was the beautiful expression of terror on Iruka's face that stirred something inside his chest, something twisted, or could it had been the scent that called to him desperately and awakened his basest instincts, begging, no, commanding him to protect the omega. Perhaps it was both at the same time that caused him to forget in a couple of seconds that he had to remain hidden.
First, he had gone for the leader, who was hiding near the tree where Kakashi was watching the scene. Too far away for his accomplices to notice him and also too distracted by reading a scroll to notice Kakashi's presence. In the blink of an eye, the leader was paralysed by shurikens and kunais in vital points and then pierced by a chidori.
Not too powerful, of course, so as not to ruin the element of surprise for the others.
He was about to go after the other ninjas when a family photo on the scroll the ninja was carrying, which had somehow gotten caught on a tree branch, caught his attention. When he took the paper in his hands, he couldn't help but let out a small laugh. He couldn't believe he would see something like that.
It was information about Iruka, along with some details of his mission that he didn't bother to read carefully. How interesting, he thought. Someone had put a bounty on the head of his beloved. And if his deductions were correct, that someone was an old shinobi with a horrible cross on his chin, who had recently been accusing him of many crimes with which he had no connection.
Mostly.
But how low had Danzo sunk, hiring foreign ninjas to kill a Leaf villager—and surely intending to frame him for Iruka's murder—Kakashi thought that perhaps there were too many eyes on Danzo for him to send one of his own subordinates.
Without thinking twice, he grabbed the scroll and tucked it inside the corpse's waistcoat. He was lucky to have the habit of never going out without supplies, so he sealed the corpse inside a scroll and tucked it into one of his pockets. This was definitely something Iruka needed to see, though of course, not right now.
When Iruka was approaching where he was, he decided to attack. At first, he only intended to eliminate the ninjas and leave, or perhaps keep watch until he was sure that Iruka had arrived safely at the village. But his primitive side got the better of him. It was automatic. His mind went blank, and by the time he came back to reality, he found himself chasing Iruka after leaving a trail of corpses behind him. He wasn't going to deny that he had enjoyed it and that he could have carried on playing this game of persue-the-prey for hours, but from what he had noticed, Iruka was heading towards a dead end. And that was where he cornered him.
Iruka... He had missed him so much.
He wasn't expecting a kind comment or a greeting, much less an ‘I missed you.’ He was aware that the situation was nothing like he had planned. Iruka surely didn't see him as just a traitor, but as someone who had poisoned him.
For Kakashi, just seeing those beautiful brown eyes was enough to throw all his self-control in the bin. He could blame Iruka's raging pheromones calling out to him, but that would be a lie. Because one of Iruka's skills had always been to make him succumb to his more savage side with just a glance. He, who had always been idolised for his perfect control over his own impulses, was now completely at the mercy of the chūnin. Several times he had wondered whether Iruka knew the effect he had on him.
And when they moved in a more private place. Kami. All he could think about was taking the omega and making it clear how much he had missed him. Even if, in Iruka's eyes, he was still an enemy.
He sighed again.
With the image of the chūnin in mind, he touched his own lips, as if the rough fingertips that had taken so many lives could compare to Iruka's soft lips, which on more than one occasion had sweetly kissed his scars. There were so many things he wanted to say to him, but they were limited on time. He had already put himself at risk by venturing into enemy territory in his search for information, and Iruka was on a mission. And from what he had read in the scroll with his data, he was already a day late for his delivery date. It was only a matter of time before an ANBU came looking for him.
The hardest thing for Kakashi was leaving without saying goodbye to Iruka. Again. He got dressed and used medical ninjutsu to heal all the marks he had left on the omega's body, ignoring the protests of his inner alpha. He left Iruka's clothes folded at the foot of the bed, although he would surely change them when Iruka took a shower in the river near their hiding place.
Well, at least the clothes he was going to borrow from Iruka would still be fragrant enough to keep him from going crazy until they met again.
He stood there contemplating the omega before deciding it was time to leave. But before doing so, he stopped when he almost stepped on Iruka's hitai-ate. He picked it up carefully and stared at it. That damn symbol. He found himself slowly stroking the plate with his thumbnail, imagining a straight line over the leaf symbol.
He smiled, hoping... No. He was sure that stripe on Iruka's hitai-ate would appear soon.
Even if Iruka didn't want to, he would take him with him. Although he hoped that Iruka wouldn't put up too much resistance. After all, he had given Iruka the chance to kill him and he refused, that had to mean something, didn't it? Although, if he was honest, he didn't mind the idea of dying stabbed by his beloved while still locked inside his omega; it was grotesquely romantic in a way.
He licked his own fangs, still feeling that tingling sensation that almost ruined his original plan completely. Because if he had marked Iruka, he would have had to keep him with him. And while it was an idea planted in his head, it wasn't the right time yet. There were still... a couple of arrangements he had to make before taking Iruka and Naruto with him.
But the most important thing was almost ready. Iruka and Naruto would love their new home, the village where the Hatake Clan was hiding was secluded enough from the world that no one would ever bother them again. They would raise Naruto together. Iruka could teach the children of the Hatake Clan and others from other much smaller clans, and Naruto would grow up without the prejudiced glances of others. Everyone was aware of Naruto's nature and accepted it without question. The ghosts of Konoha would stop tormenting him and finally, after so much pain, he would never lose anyone else again.
And the problems that the kidnapping of the jinchūriki would cause, along with Danzo's illegal activities? They were no longer his concern.
All that mattered was the comfort of his new family in the Hatake Clan.
Kakashi had never believed in the unity of the clans, nor did he care about the secrets of his own. To be honest, he didn't even know that the Hatake Clan was not originally from the Land of Fire until his father mentioned it when he told him about his love story with his mother.
His father had told him that when he was still a sixteen-year-old teenager, he pursued Kakashi's mother without a second thought from his homeland to Konoha because he was so in love with her. After a long time tracking her down, he finally found her. She confessed that she was desperate because she had contracted an apparently incurable disease and had travelled to Konoha so that the legendary medical-nin Tsunade Senju could cure her.
Unfortunately, there was no cure, but with Lady Tsunade's care, they were able to prolong her life for much longer. Of course, in order to receive these treatments, they had to settle in Konoha. There, they realised how unnoticed their own clan and village were, as even in the most hidden corners of Konoha, there were no rumours about them.
At first, they were not exactly welcomed with open arms because they were foreigners—in order to keep their place of origin a secret, they said they were from the Land of Lightning—but Sakumo quickly gained the respect of the village by demonstrating his skills as a ninja and his loyalty to Konoha. On the other hand, his mother had also been well-loved by the community thanks to her kind personality, although, like the people of her homeland, she was somewhat reserved, especially with her secrets. And for that very reason, everyone was taken by surprise by her death after giving birth. The only ones who knew she was ill apart from Sakumo were Lady Tsunade and the Hokage.
Kakashi remembered that his father had confessed to him that after his mother's death, he considered returning to his homeland, but did not do so because he felt indebted to Konoha for allowing him to have his beloved for much longer. In the end, Sakumo ended up paying his debt with his own life. All because he had allowed himself to be swayed by the values of his homeland, which were unforgivable to the spirit if a Hatake dared to break them.
The day before his father's suicide was blocked from his mind for a long time. Until one day, during one of his missions where the darkness was beginning to suffocate him, he remembered a conversation he had had with his father.
‘If one day you feel that everything is... too much, you can always go home. They will accept you as soon as they see you.’
Kakashi knew that his father was referring to his place of origin, but at the time he had not understood why his father had said that to him. The next day, he understood why. Sakumo did not want the same ending for him.
That same night, after his mission, Kakashi returned to the Hatake estate after years of not setting foot there and gathered all the information he could find about his parents' homeland. He began with a plan that would not be carried out for another two years.
And at the same time he began his plan, he started spending more time with Iruka.
It wasn't a random choice; he had known Iruka for a long time— specifically from his prankster days, when he used to made his life miserable during his patrols as an ANBU — He was exactly the kind of person he needed to interact with.
He knew that several of his superiors suspected his mental deterioration. He thought that if he befriended Iruka — and showed a little interest on purpose — the others would let their guard down and leave him alone, counting on the ‘natural ability’ that omegas had to stabilise an alpha. The plan was perfect, except he didn't count on himself letting his own guard down. And by the time he realised, not only had he fallen madly in love with Iruka, but unbeknownst to the chūnin, he had made him part of his plan along with Naruto, from whom he had kept his distance on the orders of the Konoha Council. But if everything went according to plan, he wouldn't have to obey those rules for much longer.
He pretended to the Hokage, to his comrades, to everyone that everything was fine with him. The only thing he had never pretended was his love for Iruka, which was a key driver in the madness he was committing.
There were many things Kakashi did not remember exactly, such as what had been the breaking point that made him defect. Perhaps it was Danzo's insistence on locking Naruto away and the Hokage's inability to assure him one hundred per cent that this would not happen. Perhaps it was the time Iruka was being stalked by an ANBU—who was not exactly under the Hokage's orders—and could have been killed if Kakashi hadn't intervened at the last moment. The ANBU disappeared, and Kakashi was ordered not to tell Iruka anything so as ‘not to worry him.’ They said they were going to investigate, but the ANBU was never found.
He certainly doubted whether they had made any effort to look for him.
He didn't remember exactly. But he did remembered how his thoughts had tormented him. That Naruto could be locked up. That there was someone who could hurt Iruka, and then... then he thought about death.
He thought about his father, then Rin and Obito, about Iruka's parents and Naruto's. Their parents had met their end in Konoha and their children... Since Minato's death, Kakashi had been seen as a weapon. Iruka had told him that until he got into trouble so that people would notice him a little, he had been a child left to fend for himself, who had had such a horrible time on the streets that more than once it had crossed his mind to end his life. And Naruto... Kakashi felt that he would never have enough time to mend the pain that Naruto had suffered.
Perhaps he was being unfair to the village that had allowed his father to have his mother by his side a little longer and that was why he owed his existence to it. But he had lost more than he had been given, and he was not going to allow that anymore.
In their new home, he would reward Iruka for all the mistreatment and interrogations he had surely received after his escape, and he would give Naruto the family he always deserved—the one he lost because of him, if only he had been stronger.—
Everything was going to be perfect very soon.
Iruka's gaze was directed towards the sky that could be seen through his bedroom window. The last rays of sunlight were hiding behind the building opposite, giving way to a dark blue blanket that hung over the village. He usually appreciated the good view his window gave him. He loved to stay and watch it until sleep overcame him. But on that particular day, there were no stars. Only a cloudy sky that heralded a big storm.
His attention turned to the little orange-clad pup sleeping against his chest. Naruto, who was in the midst of a deep sleep, moved slightly, searching for a better position in his arms. Iruka rocked slowly like a cradle, hoping his pup would not wake up.
The day before, Naruto had gone to Iruka's house with the intention of spending the weekend with him. He looked so excited with his backpack full of his favourite things that Iruka didn't have the heart to tell him that it wasn't a good time, that he was... busy. But he had always been weak in the face of the little one's excited gaze. They had lunch, played, reviewed some homework—even though Naruto wasn't that excited at first—then went out for ramen to go and returned to his house to continue spending time together. Iruka had had such a good time that he completely forgot why he had been so worried. The next day they repeated the same activities, had breakfast together, then studied, then had lunch and talked about a little bit of everything.
The warm atmosphere lasted until the afternoon. At one point, Iruka left the living room and went to the kitchen to make tea for both of them while Naruto was reading the theory behind the ninjutsu, with small notes from Iruka alongside the text to aid comprehension. When Iruka arrived in the kitchen, he immediately put the kettle on. Intending to return quickly to continue helping Naruto, but he stopped when he sensed that something was wrong. He turned his head to one side and the first thing he saw was his open window. He frowned in confusion; he never left the window open. He went over to close it, but something on the cabinet under the window caught his attention. It was a rectangular plastic bag with a handle, the kind typically used to deliver medical test results.
It took Iruka zero seconds to recognise the laboratory logo on the bottom of the bag.
He looked ahead, even more confused. Who had left that there? He approached the window and managed to see, for just a few moments before it disappeared in a whirlwind of leaves, the ANBU with a cat mask staring at him. What?
He took the bag and moved away from the window, not before closing it. With some hesitation, he took out the envelope inside.
Suddenly, he remembered why he had been so worried the day before. It was because of the results he now held in his hands, the ones he was supposed to receive tomorrow morning. Damn, he was almost certain that not even the doctor who had been treating him had seen them.
Anxiety began to run through his body. If that ANBU —whom Iruka later discovered he had been one of Kakashi's subordinates—had left that envelope, it could only mean one thing. He shook his head several times. He didn't want to accept it. His last blood test had indicated that there was still a large amount of poison in his system and that it would probably take months for it to be reduced significantly. But he had been warned: the Hatake Clan's poison was unpredictable. He took a deep breath, took out his results and began to read.
Information about his red blood cells, glucose, hormones, among other components, had not changed much since his last check-up. Everything was absolutely normal until his eyes fell on the final part, where what he feared most was printed in letters.
There was no trace of the poison in his body.
His mouth went dry. If there was any other information, Iruka did not read it. He reopened the bag to hide the results, feeling bile rise in his throat. But when he put the papers back, he felt them bump against something solid. He looked inside the bag and found a vial the size of his index finger at the bottom.
He picked it up and looked at it closely, setting aside the bag with his test results. The bottle contained a purple liquid, dark enough to be mistaken for tea, but that wasn't the most disturbing thing. The bottle had a white label on it, and when he looked closely, he could make out a henohenomoheji drawn in ink. He immediately opened the jar and brought it close to his nose. He froze.
It was a liquid sleeping pill.
He recognised the scent coming from the jar; it was a sleeping pill originally from the Hatake Clan that Kakashi had taught him about. It was a small dose, not enough to put an adult to sleep. But it would be enough for a child.
He rested his hands on the kitchen counter, burying his head between his shoulders. His mind was racing, everything was so sudden. It wasn't just the results, it wasn't just the bottle, it was simply... everything at once.
Could it even work?
He knew they —Konoha council—had their eyes on him. Ever since he returned from his mission almost ten months ago, everything had been strange. He felt like he was being watched, even though the Hokage had told him that everything was fine. He remembered that when he arrived in the village, he was quickly escorted to the Sandaime's office, who only asked him for his version of events and to confirm that he was okay. Cat, who didn't leave his side during the conversation, assured him that there was nothing worth mentioning. The forests were quiet.
When there were no more questions, the Third assured Iruka that he would investigate who had given him that solo mission and then dismissed him, but not before reminding him that he had a check-up in two weeks. Iruka returned home as quickly as he could, took a shower, and then searched through his things for an emergency pill.
If he didn't take it, he would be exposed. And who knows what could happen to him.
The following months were seemingly normal. He still felt like he was being watched, but he continued teaching. He spent time with Naruto and went out with his friends from time to time. Unfortunately, Mizuki was also there on those outings, but he didn't exchange many words with him. Just by noticing the hostility in his voice, he knew that Mizuki was still upset about the rejection. He tried to distract himself as much as possible.
But he couldn't pretend that nothing was happening. In the last weeks, with Naruto's eleventh birthday less than a month away, rumours began to spread more and more frequently about the jinchūriki, spoken with enthusiasm and relief: finally, they were getting closer to locking up the jinchūriki so that he would no longer be a threat to their children, to them, the good people.
Iruka remembered going to the Hokage, demanding answers. What were all those rumours? He did not receive satisfactory information; the Hokage was on the ropes. The Konoha Council and was pushing for Naruto to be locked up, and they had the support of many people in the village. However, he assured Iruka that he would do everything possible to prevent that from happening.
But as much as Iruka wanted to believe in the Hokage's promise, he couldn't. He knew the truth; they both knew it.
From then on, he asked himself what he could do. Talking was useless; fear and ignorance seemed to cloud the adults' judgement, and the children in their innocence, followed them, thinking they were doing the right thing. And those who did not share such thoughts were a minority who could only say to him: There is nothing that can be done.
And what could Iruka do? He was just an omega chūnin, without an important clan or incredible abilities that could make him worthy of being heard.
Iruka opened his eyes when he heard the kettle whistle; the water was ready.
Naruto smiled when he saw his sensei returning with the teacups. They both sat down on the sofa and Naruto began to talk about what he had learned while Iruka was in the kitchen. For Naruto, learning was much easier when he could study in a comfortable environment and confidently ask about things he didn't understand without feeling like an idiot.
Iruka smiled, assuring him that he would always be willing to answer his questions. Within the next thirty minutes, they had both finished their cups of tea. They set them down on the small table in front of them and continued talking.
The words that had been pouring out of Naruto's mouth with such euphoria began to slow down. He seemed to get lost in the middle of a sentence before resuming, and his body felt as if he had run a marathon. Huh, how strange.
For anyone else, it might have been impossible to believe. Naruto was a bright ball that bounced around and shouted, making sure everyone heard him. He seemed like an endless source of energy. However, he was now slumped against the sofa backrest, trying to remember what he had been talking about just a second ago. His eyelids heavy as if two bags of rocks were hanging from them. It would definitely have seemed strange to anyone else, but Iruka just watched him silently.
‘And... and I think Sasuke... no, Sakura? I... Who was I talking about?’ Naruto muttered, his body lurching forward.
Iruka wrapped his arms around the boy's body before he fell completely.
‘You must be exhausted, pup. It's time to sleep.’
‘But sensei! We have classes tomorrow, I don't have all my weapons. I have to go home,’ Naruto protested between yawns, but without moving away from the omega, clinging to his neck and feeling his body calm down as he smelled his sensei's scent. He couldn't help but wonder if this was what it felt like to be carried by a mother.
‘Don't worry, we can look for them tomorrow before going to the Academy, okay?’ Iruka smiled at him. ‘You can sleep now, I will wake you up in the morning.’
Naruto made a sound similar to a confirmation. Iruka took him to his room and sat down on the side of the bed, feeling the cold hitting his body. He should close the window...
He settled the pup into a more comfortable position, holding him against his chest. Naruto complained softly that he wasn't a baby, but he didn't make any move to change position either. Then his breathing became soft, and he fell completely asleep. Iruka didn't need to check if his pup was acting.
His attention turned back outside. He could hear the leaves of the trees colliding with each other due to a strong wind that had started to blow. The temperature had dropped, nothing like the warm weather that had been present at midday, so it had surely taken more than one person by surprise. It was supposed to be a quiet night, but the atmosphere... felt heavy.
Suddenly, the lights that illuminated the streets and houses went out and screams of surprise were heard in the distance. From where Iruka stood, he could see that the entire area around him had been plunged into darkness. The only light coming from the moon above them, which was obscured by the clouds covering the entire sky.
Iruka bit his lower lip, trying to ignore the trembling that had begun to invade his body. He closed his eyes tightly and clung to the pup in his arms, burying his nose in his blond hair in an attempt to calm himself with Naruto's scent. It worked, but only for a few seconds.
The village was plunged into a silence that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. And then, in the distance, he heard the crash of lightning.
Kakashi is here.