Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

(I don't own any characters etc etc)

“I mean, can you believe him?” Iruka sighed to his friends, shaking his head as he sipped water. “The nerve to even ask!”

“To train genin? He is a jonin sensei,” Kotetsu mused, shrugging.

“Exactly!” Iruka agreed. “He wants me to train them instead.”

“With him?” Izumo asked, but the teacher shook his head.

“No, by myself.”

“What?!” both friends asked in unison, and Iruka nodded as he frowned.

“Right? He’s trying to pawn the team off, the nerve of him!” Iruka repeated.

“And on your summer break? Oof,” Izumo agreed.

“I mean, I know you’re still working the missions office and gate guard, but that would be too much, to train a genin team on top of all that,” Kotetsu added.

“Exactly!” Iruka said. “There’s no time for an actual commitment. I could help here and there, maybe, but even that would be tight.”

“So, what did Hatake say?” Kotetsu asked.

“That the kids would benefit from watching me on this and that jutsu,” the teacher sighed. “That I can teach better than he could. And get this, that he would watch my lessons.”

“Well, he is a new-ish sensei, it’s possible,” Izumo offered.

“He’s worked with them for several months,” Iruka reminded him in an unimpressed voice. “And we all know he’s trained other shinobi before that. Not to mention, they’re his students now, and he has no business not working with them when he’s in full health and in the village!”

“Yeah, he was pretty rude to you about them when we thought the chuunin exams were happening,” Kotetsu sighed, shaking his head.

“I can only assume that with the test being delayed he’s trying to get out of work,” Iruka grumbled as he ate, stabbing his food with more force than was needed. “You know what, that’s it! He’s probably doing this because of the delay, thinking he can….can just pawn the team off! Give them away!”

“Maybe it’s a misunderstanding? He could be wanting to work together, like collaborate….” Izumo posed.

“Who’s side are you on?” Kotetsu whispered, and Izumo shrugged.

“I’m looking for a silver lining, I guess…maybe he just doesn’t mean it like that, for you to do it instead of him?” Izumo looked at Kotetsu for help, and the other man shrugged.

“I guess…maybe, but he could just put in a R&R request if he needs a break?”

Iruka shook his head. “He’s too lazy to do something formal like that. I bet that instead of putting in an actual request he thinks he can just do what he wants for time off. He must think I’ll just say yes, without a fight! That I’ll just do whatever he wants, that I’m a…a…pushover!”

“Or, that you’re a really great, awesome, super cool teacher?” Izumo meekly offered.

“I appreciate it, but I doubt it,” Iruka told them. “I know I’m skilled, but come on, he’s a top jonin and, well, he’s him.”

“Maybe he thinks you’re just so nice that you’ll help, but again, like, collaborate, not in a pushover kind of way,” Kotetsu quickly added, and Iruka glared at him. “No, you’re right, you’re prickly and mean and a hardass.”

Iruka finally laughed. “Only sometimes, but definitely to him from now on.” He paused and shook his head. “I’m putting a clear stop to this, more than I have been. I guess I’ve been too gentle. Unless it comes from above, he and I don’t need to train genin together, and I don’t need to train the team at all!”

“Right!” his friends cheered. “Not at all!”

And Iruka kept to his decision after that, no matter how many times Kakashi tried to bring it up. And the jonin did try, again and again and again:

“I think you could do wonders with us, if you’d just give us some time –”

“Taking the team out for some in the field training would be a great opportunity for teamwork, and more…to have some time away from things….”

“I’d help, but you would be in charge. Think of me as your assistant?”

“You don’t want to work with me?”

“We could discuss this over a meal, say, dinner?”

“He’s awfully persistent,” Kotetsu commented to Iruka after two weeks of continued requests.

“He’s resorting to trying to bribe me with buying me dinner,” Iruka grumbled, shaking his head.

“Maybe there’s another motive?” his friend posed.

“An ulterior one? Underneath the underneath, and all that crap?” Iruka laughed. “Yeah, no, he just wants to get out of work and have a day off.”

“He could take one anytime,” Izumo shared. “Maybe he actually wants to work with you?”

“When a jonin is assigned to a genin team, I literally don’t see a reason for a chuunin to work with them if it’s not a specialized order,” Iruka reminded them. “Otherwise, chuunin would be assigned to lead genin teams. It literally makes no sense in the world of shinobi.”

“True,” Kotetsu agreed, scratching his head. “But, why else would he keep at it?”

“He’s nothing if not stubborn,” Iruka sighed. “If only he put half as much effort into being on time for the kids, if what Naruto says is true…”

His friends exchanged a silent look, deciding to keep an eye on it all themselves. And so, one day, after Kakashi’s latest attempt to get Iruka to work with Team Seven, Kotetsu and Izumo took pity on the jonin when they caught up with him away from the missions office.

“Anything you want to share about Iruka?” Kotetsu asked, and Kakashi sheepishly shook his head. “Huh…”

“Ok, well, just, give him time,” Izumo said in hushed tones in the hallway of Hokage Tower. “Whatever it is. We could try to help, butter him up, you know?”

“I have to go,” Kakashi declared, turning and briskly walking away. The other men looked at each other and shrugged.

“Something’s up, that’s for sure,” Kotetsu mused, and Izumo nodded.

“We’ll keep watch, and try to keep Iruka from killing him,” Izumo laughed. “Maybe get him to soften up even…”

But Iruka just continued to firmly decline Kakashi’s requests for support with the team, and could only hope the other man would accept it and leave him be.

This was going to be a long summer, he sighed.

Chapter Text

(I don't own any characters etc etc)

Kakashi persisted for one more week with Iruka…until he didn’t. Iruka hadn’t even realized the other man was absent for several days, until he realized that he was less irritated than he had been for the past several weeks.

He wasn’t going to be ungrateful for the peace, nor did he intend to do any investigating, figuring he’d relax while he could. Perhaps, Iruka mused, the copy nin had finally taken the hint? Well, Iruka had never really hinted about his thoughts on the man’s actions, but it was as fine a saying for it all as the teacher could think of, now that he could really enjoy his summer off from the academy.

However, just because he didn’t intend to investigate Kakashi’s change of heart didn’t mean the information wouldn’t find him. And it did, in the form of one very annoyed blond shinobi.

“Kakashi-sensei is on a solo mission!” Naruto grumbled to his former teacher over ramen one night.

“What?”

“Yeah, he left a few days ago!”

The teacher frowned, suddenly piecing things together. “For how long?” he cautiously asked.

Naruto shrugged. “Too long, we don’t know. I guess it’s a super secret mission or something. But in the meantime, we have to train with Asuma-sensei’s team!”

It was Iruka’s turn to shrug. “That’s not too bad, right?”

“Not too bad?! Ino and Sakura fight with each other, or moon over Sasuke! Choji brings good snacks, don’t get me wrong, but Shikamaru just yawns and tries to take naps. I know he’s got good jutsu to use, but I’m not sure I’m getting to see him do much else than doze off!”

Iruka nodded, tuning Naruto out without meaning to. He was just so angry at the news, and grumbled to himself when he was home later.

“I can’t believe him!” Iruka snapped as he took his sandals off and angrily hung his vest up. “Kakashi took a mission to get away from the kids! The nerve of him, I thought he was low before, but he went out of his way to get a solo mission! I’m sure of it! When I see him, I’m going to teach him such a lesson about not shirking duty when it comes to teaching!” Iruka snarled. “The audacity, trying to force his team on me when I said no how many times, and now he goes and forces them on Asuma! I mean, sure, Asuma is a great teacher,” he said, calming himself, “but that’s besides the point!”

Iruka paused and took a few deep breaths; there was no need to raise his blood pressure over the copy nin’s antics, no matter how annoying.

“I’ll just hope he comes back soon enough to pick back up with his team, and that having time off for a mission will be enough to get it out of his system,” Iruka said, nodding. “And that Asuma can talk some sense into him, show him that they’re good kids, even if they can be a handful at times. I bet that Asuma would even take the team on again if Kakashi needed a break, he just has to be responsible and admit it!”

And with that, Iruka went to bed, making a note to ask Asuma to speak to Kakashi when the copy nin returned. Maybe Kurenai too, he mused, since she seemed to also enjoy teaching genin…

___

But before Kakashi could return, Naruto continued to grumble to Iruka about the training.

“You know,” Naruto slyly began one morning before he went to train. “You could train us, instead!”

Iruka frowned at him as he sorted scrolls in the missions office. “I think it’s good that genin teams work with other genin teams in their jonin-sensei’s absence.”

“Boring!” Naruto grumbled. “You’re awesome, and you love me and Sakura and Sasuke! We were great students, right?”

Iruka laughed. “You were great,” he agreed. “So great that you’re even better being in a group of great students with Asuma’s team.”

Naruto sighed, grumbling as he walked away. Iruka watched him go, laughing and shaking his head.

“He’ll get over it, it’s just a transition,” Iruka mused to himself. “All genin want to stay in their own team for a while, that perfect little bubble.”

And with that, he returned to his task, as other desk workers were helping with those seeking to accept missions or turning in reports. But about thirty minutes later, Iruka was summoned to the Hokage’s office.

He thought nothing of it, as he was probably needed to discuss some filing concern, or office schedule; maybe to consult on the rare topic he was able to. But nothing prepared him for what the older Sarutobi asked of him.

“You want me to train Team Seven?” Iruka repeated, sure he hadn’t heard correctly. The Hokage nodded, puffing on his pipe.

“While Kakashi is away,” the older man agreed.

Iruka sighed. “Yes, Hokage-sama, of course,” he said half-heartedly.

“Something on your mind?”

Iruka frowned. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but Kakashi-sensei took a mission to get away from the genin, right? He has…given me evidence to support that likelihood.”

“He didn’t,” the Hokage said, to Iruka’s surprise. “A less than ideal situation came up, and his skills and experience were needed.”

“I’m sure,” Iruka said, only half agreeing. “Did Naruto happen to suggest me as a replacement?”

The Hokage’s eyes twinkled in amusement. “My guards in the tower may have heard him suggest it, but I’ve always considered you a second option for that team, when needed.”

Iruka nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed by the high praise. He took his leave and went to inform his supervisor of his change in duty and let coworkers know. After wrapping that up, he went to find Asuma to consult and let him know of the change in plans.

The teams were at training ground ten, and the genin waved at Iruka before they resumed training. Iruka shared the news in a low voice with Asuma, who nodded as he smoked a cigarette, eyes on the genin.

“You know it’ll be for a while, right?” Asuma asked.

“What, like a week? I guess,” Iruka said, shrugging.

The jonin looked at him. “Longer, I think.”

Iruka frowned. “He’s been gone for some time…they don’t usually send out jonin-sensei for long when they have genin teams, or new teams, for that matter.”

“I know,,” Asuma agreed, and Iruka blinked, the seriousness of the matter settling in.

“Oh,” he said, for lack of anything else. Kakashi was sent out on a solo mission that his experience was needed for, and for a lengthy mission…or something had not gone right…Iruka blinked again, not wanting to go down that path.

He sighed.

“Well, one day at a time,” Iruka said, hyping himself up. “So, tell me what the kids have been working on…”

____

Team Seven were excited to work with Iruka, though he suspected part of it was that they could get away from the other team for whatever reason. They appreciated Iruka’s dedication, planning, and time management, and he was a firm but fair teacher, guiding them and pushing them more than he had when they were still in the academy.

But excitement to work with him turned to nervousness about Kakashi as one week with Iruka turned to two, as the jonin’s absence grew longer and longer. They didn’t outright say it, but he could read it in their tone, their looks, their tension when he asked about how Kakashi had taught them this or that skill.

“I think Kakashi-sensei has gotten lost on his mission,” Iruka shared one day at lunch, approaching the topic head on. Three curious heads raised to look at him. “I bet he finished his mission and is taking a vacation!” he declared with a grin, half believing himself and the jonin’s previous antics, half thinking the mission was so severe that Kakashi’s many jutsu was needed. But he wanted to try to hide all that for the genin, as their concern grew.

“Yeah!” Naruto agreed. “I bet he’s…at an onsen, right now!”

“With his stupid mask on,” Sasuke mused with a frown. “Avoiding teaching us.”

“Reading his stupid books all day,” Sakura added, laughing. “And not looking at a clock!”

“That’s probably why he’s not back yet, he’s not paying attention to the time!” Naruto posed.

Iruka laughed as the team came up with wilder and wilder reasons Kakashi was still away, the genin airing their grievances towards him as they started to relax. And as they started their afternoon training, Iruka was pleased that they seemed lighter, more present.

He just had to keep it up, and hope Kakashi came back sooner than later. What Iruka really needed in the man’s continued absence, he knew, was a distraction. What the kids needed was…a mission of their own! And with that plan, Iruka nodded at himself, making a note to head to the missions office that night to start to look for one.

Chapter Text

(I don't own any characters etc etc)

Iruka mentioned to his coworkers at the missions office of his desire to distract his genin team, as strange a sentence as that was. Not really “his,” but at the same time, they were, so he was going to do his best by them! No, Iruka was not going to let them suffer for their jonin-sensei’s own behaviors. Kakashi would pay for that on his own, Iruka was going to make sure of that!

But, the others worked with him to first find two one day in-village missions, albeit a more interesting one than genin teams often took. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke didn’t complain, though Iruka figured it was more due to them having something interesting to do that they could hold over the heads of the other rookie teams than anything else.

As they wrapped up the second mission, a messenger hawk found them and delivered a scroll to Iruka, who accepted it curiously.

“We’re being sent out on a mission,” he read aloud, as his eyes widened along with the genin’s. “To leave tomorrow, plan to be away for upwards of a week.” He looked at the genin. “Retrieving some important papers and books, bringing them back to Konoha. I have to get more information in an hour, so let’s finish our report for today and have dinner while we talk about what to pack, okay?”

They agreed and set off to fulfill the plan, with renewed energy and seriousness, Iruka noted.

He had to admit, he thought maybe someone was taking pity on them and had made a mission up to get Team Seven out of town to burn off energy. Iruka didn’t get his hopes up as he went to Hokage Tower, where he was met by ANBU at the entrance and escorted through the tower, to his surprise. They didn’t go up, but instead went downstairs, into an area he hadn’t been often, and then to another area he had certainly never been. His stomach twisted and turned at what it meant - Team Seven sent on a mission last minute for which he was receiving top secret information, all while Kakashi was sent on his own particular mission?

Yeah, Iruka’s gut told him this was not going to be good.

He found himself in a room with the ANBU who escorted him, along with Ibiki and another ANBU and was motioned to sit across from Ibiki while the ANBU stood flanking them.

“Let’s get straight to it, Team Seven is being sent on a mission,” Ibiki reviewed, and Iruka nodded.

“We’re bringing back documents."

“Not quite,” Ibiki told him. “That’s the cover story for the genin. In reality, it’s to help Kakashi.”

Iruka sat straighter. “What? Why us?” he asked before he could stop himself. “If it was such a top mission for his caliber, and ANBU are here…” A chuunin and three new genin getting sent after the copy nin? He could laugh at how ridiculous that was!

“Kakashi has been captured,” Ibiki admitted, and Iruka’s stomach sank. “We need people to get information about him, boots on the ground. ANBU are limited in what they can find, as the captors are wary, as you can imagine, for anyone in or out of uniform. Learning anything seemingly to do with it has not been successful, and we’d rather try this than interrogation. For now.” He paused. “The mission the genin received today is to keep them unaware of the severity of it all, while you see what you can learn about where he is being held, and anything else. ANBU will be in the vicinity to help, as soon as we have any idea of where Kakashi is they’ll take over.”

Iruka nodded. “How long has he been MIA?”

“Classified,” an ANBU told him, and Iruka scowled.

“I should know, in case information relies on that. A visitor from one week ago is far different than a visitor from two weeks ago,” the teacher posed, but the ANBU shrugged.

“Nine days, at least,” the second ANBU said, and Iruka bowed his head in thanks.

“If ANBU can’t get information, how will we? We’re identifiable as shinobi, and the genin will be suspicious of being out of uniform, them or me,” Iruka countered.

“No offense, but a teacher and three kids, new shinobi at that, doesn’t raise eyebrows,” the second ANBU told him. “People might be more relaxed around you, or specifically the kids. We’re hoping youthful attitudes or something like that helps, and figured they’d be the best for it.”

Ibiki sighed. “We know he was last in the village you’re heading to, and our trackers don’t have him leaving it. But all traces within the village are cold. We don’t have a lead for who to even try to get information from.”

“We still have ANBU there getting intel,” the first ANBU stated. “We’re just adding you as a different tactic. “ They paused. “I don’t really think you need to know much more than that.”

Iruka sighed as Ibiki nodded. “There will be someone to receive you for the genin’s mission, so that they still believe it. That will free you up more to see what can be learned.”

They discussed more information, and Iruka went home after that. He was glad he was always mission ready, though he’d stop tomorrow for more rations for himself and the kids just in case.

“Even though we’ll be in a village and can get food there, doesn’t hurt,” Iruka mused. He paused from sharpening a kunai and thought again about Kakashi and the jonin’s own mission. “I’m sure it’s serious but…if he hadn’t been so desperate to get away from the team, he might not have taken the mission, if he had a choice,” Iruka huffed, shaking his head. “And now he’s gone and gotten himself captured, great. When I find him, he’s still getting a piece of my mind!”

___

“So,” Iruka told the kids as they hiked several hours to get to their destination. “I found out about Kakashi-sensei’s mission.”

“What is it?” Sakura asked as her teammates looked at Iruka with wide eyes.

“He had to find a statue, I don’t know much more than that,” he shared, having decided to make up a lie about it just in case anything came up later. “But it was a top order, so it must be important.”

“Lame!” Naruto commented, as Sasuke nodded. “Of all the things to keep him away for a few weeks!”

“He’s probably taking his time with it,” Sasuke offered, as the others laughed. “He’s always saying how skilled he is, he probably found it in a day or two and is just holed up somewhere.”

“Who knows?” Iruka said with a smile he didn’t really feel. “We can ask him when he gets back.”

“Maybe he’ll be back before we finish our mission,” Sakura posed. “That would be cool.”

“Yeah, so long as he lets us have a few days off before we start training with him again,” Naruto sighed. “Iruka-sensei, would you still train us then?”

“Well, I’d hand you off to him, since he’s your actual team leader,” Iruka reminded them. “But I could probably hang around a day or two to get him up to speed,” he added, and the three nodded. “So, let’s make the most of our mission together, okay?”

“Okay!” the genin agreed, and Iruka gave them a genuine smile.

They were a welcome distraction, though he did feel guilt for keeping information from them. It was necessary, he knew, but it was not ideal.

They made good timing to the village, fast enough to be focused but not so fast as to push themselves, for Iruka needed to keep up the pretense of the mission the week or so they were there. The kids hadn’t questioned that yet, needing a week to get items, so he could only hope there were things to keep them occupied.

Fortunately for him, someone had thought ahead for when they checked in at the designated inn (selected so ANBU could contact him easily), there were tasks they were assigned to in that village as they waited for their items.

Iruka and the team checked into their set of rooms, a small suite of sorts with two bedrooms and a small central sitting area. He and the boys would take one room, the slightly larger one where three futons comfortably lay, giving Sakura her own and her privacy.

“We can rest today and check in for our overall mission tomorrow, then start on the smaller ones,” he told them, smiling as they cheered. This would be okay, he told himself, relaxing slightly. He would do his best to get information, and try to help Kakashi as much as he could.

Then the jonin would take the kids back, and Iruka could only hope that whatever had gotten in Kakashi’s system regarding wanting Iruka to teach them instead of him would pass.

Iruka sighed once more at it all.

____

As expected, they met with their team mission contact the next day, and that person cheerfully helped to facilitate the other tasks.

“It will be quite a few days, but nothing too big,” they told the genin. “So plenty of time to get around the village, talk to villagers, see what’s nice to do and get recommendations on things while you’re here!”

Iruka caught their eye and exchanged a curt nod, reading between the lines on the team mingling and talking with anyone and everyone.

The younger shinobi didn’t bat an eye and so the team set off for their first of several tasks for that week, making small talk with anyone they interacted with. Other customers in shops; staff; servers at restaurants and cafes; staff at the inn, and other guests there.

There was nothing Iruka felt to be noteworthy until the morning of their fourth day, when they went to a grocery store to stock up on snacks and fruit for their room, to save money. A middle aged woman there helped them pick out the best fruit, asking where they were from.

“Ah, there was another here recently from there, with your uniform,” she said, nodding at Iruka, who felt his heart race. Was this it, he wondered?

“What?” Sakura asked. “Who?”

“Yeah, I wonder if we’d know him, though Konoha is a big place…” Naruto chimed in. Iruka held his breath in anticipation.

“Oh, I don’t have a name, but he was nice and respectful, though too young for me!” she laughed. “Brown hair, an eye patch, and, what’s the term? My daughter’s romance books always use it….oh, ruggedly handsome!” she dreamily sighed, and Sasuke rolled his eyes as Sakura grinned. Iruka bit his bottom lip as he thought about it. The eye patch could be Kakashi, though others wore one at times, shinobi or civilian alike. And the rest of the description sounded like an extreme disguise for the copy nin, though Iruka had no clue if it was needed for the man’s mission.

“Where is he?” Naruto asked.

“Working to help decipher old scrolls,” the woman said, as she picked out more fruit for them. “Seems quite busy, though it’s a pity he’s too busy to get outside much as he does like nature.”

“What?” Sasuke asked, surprised.

She nodded. “He asked me to take a token to a tree for good luck, it was cute,” the woman recalled with a fond smile.

Iruka blinked. “Which tree, could you show us?” he asked, and everyone looked at him in surprise. He offered a smile, feeling uneasy but trying to not let it show. “I know I could always do with some good luck,” he tried to joke. “I don’t know about the rest of you?”

“Very true, we all could,” the woman fortunately agreed, and soon they were following her around the village, carrying their groceries and making small talk about whatever they passed. She took them to the outskirts of the forest at a far part of the village, not really near anything major, Iruka observed, though he wouldn’t really know. She led them to an unassuming tree, nothing standing out about it, and Iruka cautiously approached as the genin discussed what to offer or ask for.

Iruka didn’t see anything around or on the tree, and slowly put a hand on it, surprised to feel a light wave of chakra pulsing through it a moment later. Almost like if one didn’t know to look for it, they would miss it. He pulsed a short burst of chakra into the tree, and his eyes widened as it pulsed back at him, firmer than it had been. Then, a barely there sound of a specific Konoha whistle used by shinobi while in the field.

Iruka swallowed and took his hand away, turning back with a calm look on his face. “You know what,” he said to the others, “I think there’s a lucky tree for me a little farther back, I’ll be right back.”

They agreed and continued to mill about to search for their own trees, and Iruka calmly walked deeper into the forest. After a minute or two, an ANBU in a cat mask appeared several feet in front of Iruka.

“Are you a tree?” Iruka asked with a raised eyebrow.

“What? No, I mean, yes, kind of,” the ANBU said.

“What?” Iruka asked, confused.

“Hey, Iruka-sensei!” Naruto called out. “Come see our lucky trees!”

“I’ll be right there!” Iruka called back before turning to the ANBU. “Meet me by the inn we’re staying at, ten PM,” he said, and the ANBU nodded before disappearing. The teacher went back to the others, praising them for their selection of trees and helping them to give thanks and make requests for safety and miscellaneous other things.

“And that Kakashi-sensei gets back soon,” Sakura added, and Iruka nodded, glancing at the older woman but finding no reaction.

They walked back to the middle of the village, thanking her once more as they did so.

“By the way,” Iruka casually began. “Where’s the other man working? Deciphering scrolls, you said? I was just thinking maybe we could help him, or at least buy him a meal,” he laughed.

“Oh, where was it…for the Minaso family, I was delivering something for a friend there and met him. Hard at work, and it’s such a busy place, so many people there now, for some reason,” she said, shrugging. “I’m not sure why, and my friend was too busy to tell me. We happened to bump into him.”

“Fair,” Iruka agreed. “Well, we’ll see if we can’t bump into him ourselves,” he said, and the team waved at her as they separated.

___

Iruka sighed as he stood in the darkened gardens of the inn as he waited for the ANBU.

“So Kakashi may not have had a choice to go on the mission, and I can’t imagine it was his choice to get captured,” he thought to himself. “Or maybe he still took the mission to get away from the kids, and it backfired, got him a bigger mission and this mess.” Iruka nodded. “Serves him right!” he muttered.

“Serves who right?” a voice said as the ANBU appeared, and Iruka stood straighter, cleared his throat.

“No one!” he quickly offered. “Anyway, I may have information on Hatake’s whereabouts.”

“Already? Impressive.”

Iruka waved it away. “Honestly? I think we just got lucky. But the part of the plan of kids bringing out things in people might have been more effective than expected.” He shared what the woman had told them - the description of the shinobi, their location, what they were doing (whoever it was), and the increase in business and people there.

“That must be him,” the cat ANBU agreed. “We’ll start to make arrangements, thank you. Lay low until then, and as soon as the team’s mission wraps up, get them back to Konoha as fast as you can. See if it can’t be rushed, even.”

But to the masked man’s surprise, Iruka shook his head and crossed his arms.

“ANBU can’t do it alone.”

“What?” the ANBU laughed. “We certainly can, and especially now that we have more of an idea of where. Thank you, but really –”

“And you only have an idea because of us,” Iruka firmly reminded him. “We were sent here because of ANBU’s shortcomings.”

“I suppose so but –”

“And there’s civilians in that compound. You and your team can get Hatake or whoever it is, out. My team and I will help with the civilians,” Iruka announced. “That frees up ANBU.”

“I…that’s true,” the ANBU agreed. “I see your point,” he said, nodding. “I’ll discuss it with my team, wait for further information.”

Iruka agreed and was soon standing by himself, taking a deep breath before he went back to the inn.

“Not what I signed up for,” he muttered. “How do I explain this to the kids?"

Chapter Text

(I don't own any characters etc etc)

In the end, Iruka decided to be honest with his team. Kakashi’s team. Their team…

“I was contacted by ANBU,” he said as they had a small team meeting in a secluded part of the inn’s gardens the next day. “Kakashi-sensei actually passed through the area not long ago,” he said, and three pairs of eyes widened. “We’re going to help with his mission, isn’t that great!” Iruka continued with his rehearsed speech.

“Finding the statue?” Sakura asked, and Iruka nodded.

“A mission is a mission, I suppose,” Sasuke sighed.

“Cool! If Kakashi-sensei couldn’t find it himself, we’re totally going to help and never let him live it down!” Naruto declared, and to Iruka’s amusement, his teammates nodded, determined looks on their faces.

If they only knew it was a rescue mission instead, Iruka thought.

“What’s the plan, Iruka-sensei?” Sasuke asked, and Iruka smiled.

“We’re waiting for it from ANBU, so we’re going to keep up with our tasks and general mission here, and stay mission ready until then. Sound good?” he asked, and they agreed.

As they went about their day, Iruka’s heart was warmed by how much the kids wanted to help Kakashi - they made healthier food choices, stayed hydrated, and sharpened weapons and stretched in free time, while also just taking the village in.

“If only he appreciated them,” Iruka grumbled to himself that night, as time passed any without word from ANBU. “I’m still giving him a piece of my mind after all this, and giving a formal recommendation to the Hokage that he do extra missions with them!”

The next day at lunch Iruka received a message slipped into his hand as he walked around the market with the genin. He fought the urge to look around, not knowing who he would search for anyway. A moment later he read the slip of paper, and shared it with the genin later, informing them that they would be meeting with ANBU that night to learn of the plan.

And so, Iruka found himself in the same part of the garden as with his previous meeting with the ANBU, now sitting on benches with the genin as they waited.

“This is cool, working with ANBU!” Sakura softly cheered. “I hope I get to tell Ino and the others about it!”

“We’ll at least have to discuss it with Kakashi-sensei,” Sasuke mused. “As a debriefing, since he probably already knows.”

“Kakashi-sensei will think this is so cool, too!” Naruto agreed. “Us working with ANBU.”

“You work with ANBU more than you know,” the cat ANBU said as he suddenly appeared.

“What?” Iruka asked, but the masked man shrugged.

“Nevermind. Okay, let’s discuss the plan, since this is happening tomorrow,” the ANBU said, and four pairs of eyes widened before focusing and listening intently.

____

As per the plan, the team woke early the next morning, since everything was to occur during breakfast hours. The intel suggested there were less guards, even though there were more civilians present, as the area seemed to fortify itself more at night and had a tighter shift schedule then.

Iruka led the team towards the compound and its east side, where they would work with the cat ANBU to get inside as other ANBU entered from two other points.

Team Seven and the ANBU easily entered the compound and were guided to the main building itself, where they separated from the ANBU. Iruka and the genin quietly entered the designated door, finding themselves in a busy kitchen area. The four set about to get everyone out of that area, as most civilians were there at that time to prepare for the day. The team spun a lie about being hired for protection by the family and that there was a threat reported, and would everyone leave the compound in a steady manner, please and thank you.

Iruka’s trained ear heard the faintest sounds of scuffles starting to ensue, but the story given to the civilians would cover that, he mused, as they wouldn’t know it was ANBU attacking and not someone else. The genin moved everyone outdoors to safety, with Iruka bringing up the rear.

To his surprise, the woman they had befriended the other day was there, and she offered a warm smile to them.

“Is that Konoha shinobi still here?” he asked her, and she and several other older women nodded. “Where?”

“Oh, probably the same room, right?” she said, looking at the group she was with.

“On the north side, where the light is good for most of the day,” another woman told him, pointing to a part of the building on the third floor.

Iruka cursed; it was not where ANBU expected Kakashi to be, as the ANBU had privately informed Iruka they anticipated the basement or an armory of sorts to be the targets; possibly an office on the second floor, south side. He knew it would take too long to get word to them, so instead, he went to the genin and gathered them once more.

“Take everyone to the police, they’ll be on their way here soon, I expect. Stay there until I come back for you.”

“What will you do?” Naruto asked, worried.

“I’m going to help,” Iruka said. “I’ll see you all soon, I know you can handle this.”

“Right!” the three agreed, and he turned and ran back to the building.

Iruka didn’t know anything about the layout, just that he had to get to the third floor, and to the part of the building facing a koi pond he had observed in the compound.

“That’ll have to do,” he thought to himself as he ran, kunai in each hand. The sounds of fighting grew both louder and quieter as Iruka went in the opposite direction, hoping more guards would have gone that way. But if the belief that the shinobi was being held captive here was true, regardless of who they were, there would certainly be guards remaining there.

And they were, Iruka soon found, as he stepped onto the third floor. He fought his way through three of them to get down one hallway, figuring that he might as well be led by them to the right area.

Six more guards later, Iruka was standing in front of a very heavy, very locked door. He reached into his vest and pulled out a specific tag.

“Stand back!” Iruka shouted a few inches away from the door, hoping he could be heard by whoever was in there before slapping the tag onto it and pulsing chakra into it.

He darted a few feet away and off to one side, and was rewarded with an explosion and the satisfying sound of a door groaning. Iruka ran over and kicked it in, unsurprised to find several more guards there. Sure, he had tipped them off about the explosion, but he couldn’t risk anyone else getting harmed from him trying to open it that way.

Iruka fought, landing punches and kicks while taking some more of his own, not that it had been smooth sailing to get his way through the other guards to here. It was a medium-sized room and by the time he was done with the guards, desks had been upturned, a chair was broken (that had been a doozy for him to be hit with), and paper and ink littered about half the floor. Iruka was still very much on guard after knocking out the last guard, and moved across the room in the blink of an eye to another unfamiliar person who had, he recalled, taken one guard down as Iruka fought the others. That person, in a Konoha uniform, remained standing by the windows; no weapons in their hands, but it didn’t mean much to Iruka.

Iruka grabbed their flak vest and hauled them practically face to face, eyes roaming the stranger’s face.

Brown hair. Eye patch. Rugged good looks, his brain posed. It was who the woman had described, but he didn’t know them, Iruka thought, until…

“Maa, you’re staring, sensei. I’m flattered,” the unfamiliar face said to him with a wink, and Iruka’s eyes widened.

“Kakashi?” Iruka asked, and the other man grinned. Iruka’s eyes flitted down to the smile, seeing it for the first time, and he stood in shock.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder, eh?” the mouth said, as Iruka tried to reconcile that mouth with that voice.

“Is that…that’s not…you’re not…” he stammered out.

“I dyed my hair, if that’s what you’re asking,” Kakashi said, gesturing in that direction with a gloveless hand.

Iruka rolled his eyes. “No, your face, idiot,” he snapped.

“I have one, yes,” Kakashi agreed, as he smiled again at Iruka, whose brain fizzled out at the sight.

“I can’t even right now,” Iruka heard himself say in a daze.

“Oh, this is just like in Icha Icha,” Kakashi sighed dreamily, and leaned towards Iruka.

Iruka’s eyes widened at the realization of both what the other man was moving to do, and that Iruka was still gripping Kakashi’s vest.

“Let’s go,” Iruka said, shoving Kakashi away. The chuunin reached into his own vest and took out a bandana, throwing it at the other man before turning away to give him privacy as he sent out a field signal to ANBU. Mere seconds later and the cat ANBU appeared.

“Hatake?” they asked.

“Yo.”

“We should get you out,” the ANBU said, and Kakashi sighed.

“But Iruka and I were having a moment, straight out of a love story!”

Iruka turned and glared at him. “I’m going to murder you.”

“Ooh I likey!” Kakashi cheered.

“Did I interrupt anything?” the ANBU asked.

“Yes!” Kakashi agreed.

“No!” Iruka shouted at the same time, and was saved by other ANBU joining them. “And I’m out,” the chuunin declared. “I’ve got a team to meet,” he said, walking out of the room. As he did so, he heard Kakashi ask if Team Seven was there.

“Yes, with Iruka-sensei,” the cat ANBU replied.

“I want all the details!” Iruka heard Kakashi say, and shook his head as he turned down the hallway.

____

Iruka found Team Seven at the police station with another ANBU team, and stayed to help them give their statements before giving his own.

After, he praised the genin for their work and for handling everything in his absence, and treated them to lunch, as it had quite some time at the station.

“Where did you go when you ran off?” Sakura asked.

“Back inside, to do one more sweep, and I ended up helping an ANBU,” Iruka told them.

“Man, it sucks we didn’t find the statue after all,” Naruto sighed, and Sasuke nodded.

“True, but we kept civilians safe, helped take down some bad guys, and got another shinobi to safety,” the teacher reminded them.

“But we didn’t even helped Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura frowned, but Iruka smiled.

“We did help him, since we know one less place the statue is.”

“That isn’t much help,” Sasuke pointed out.

Iruka shrugged. “It is, it narrows down Kakashi’s list of places to check, and we brought more ANBU in to help him. In fact, I think today was a big help, more than we probably know.”

The genin exchanged a look and collective shrug.

“I can’t wait to tell him what we did,” Naruto announced.

“It would be good to get his perspective on it, I suppose,” the Uchiha agreed, and Iruka listened as the genin discussed what they would tell Kakashi about that week.

It was nice, Iruka realized, to see that Kakashi did train his students, and that they cared about and valued the jonin’s opinion and knowledge.

“Is that other shinobi safe?” Naruto asked Iruka. “Will he come back with us?”

“I think he’s with ANBU, but he’s definitely safe,” Iruka told them. “Seemed totally fine. And I think we’ll be able to wrap up our own mission later today and head back ourselves tomorrow.”

The genin cheered, and the rest of the meal and day was spent packing, resting, getting the last of their items to take back, and going to sleep early.

____

Once back in Konoha Iruka was informed to take the team to the Hokage the following morning to debrief. This unsettled the genin slightly, and the teacher assured them that it was probably due to the events from the previous day, given it was a higher level of mission in the end than a genin team might normally get. He sent them to their respective homes for rest, meeting in the morning after breakfast to go to their meeting.

Sarutobi discussed the missions with them and praised their teamwork and actions.

“And you’ll be happy to know that Kakashi has returned,” he told the team. “He was slightly injured on his mission and is at the hospital, but mostly fine.”

“Can we go visit him?” Naruto asked.

Sarutobi nodded. “We can make arrangements for it, no matter visiting hours, so long as he is up for it.”

“How convenient he’s back now,” Iruka mused, and the older man grinned.

“Yes, such good timing,” he agreed. A few moments later the Hokage dismissed the team, asking Iruka to stay back.

“Go start the report in a lounge downstairs, I’ll find you soon,” Iruka told them, and soon was left in the office with the Hokage.

“I just wanted to remind you that Kakashi didn’t ask for the mission, or to be away,” Sarutobi offered.

“I guess,” Iruka replied.

“He’s very focused on work, too focused, sometimes,” the older man sighed, lighting his pipe. “He’s given so much to the village, to his own detriment.”

“Uh, yes?” Iruka agreed, unsure of what to say. Surely the other man was referring to Kakashi’s eye, right?

“Just, keep an open mind.”

Iruka silently nodded, bowing and leaving the office, not entirely sure what had just been discussed with him. He had just exited when he found himself face to face with the ANBU he’d been working with in the other village.

“Are you going to see Hatake?”

“Yeah,” Iruka replied, surprised by yet another curious exchange that day. “With the team.”

“Good. He’s asking about you.”

“What?”

“I’ll let him know,” the cat ANBU said, leaving in the blink of an eye.

“What?” Iruka repeated to the empty hallway, before shrugging and sighing. “The things I do for this village sometimes,” he grumbled as he went to meet the genin, stopping by the missions office on his way.

Chapter Text

(I don't own any characters etc etc)

The genin were antsy to go to the hospital, so Iruka suggested they head out then and there; the report could surely wait, he mused. A short time later found them in the jonin’s hospital room, where Iruka sat on the windowsill as the kids sat in chairs around Kakashi’s bed, telling them all about their time without him, both in and out of Konoha.

Kakashi listened intently, but Iruka found the other man stealing glances at him here and there. Perhaps, Iruka thought, the jonin was waiting for a time to offer feedback for his own teaching style? Well, it wasn’t like Iruka had asked to work with a genin team, so he was not expecting to have been perfect with them!

“You’re quiet, sensei,” Kakashi commented, and Iruka was brought out of his thoughts.

He shrugged. “Just letting them tell you everything.”

“It’s been so good working with Iruka-sensei again!” Naruto told Kakashi.

“Tell me all about it,” Kakashi requested, and this time the kids told him not of what they had done, but more of Iruka’s methods. His lessons for them, how he helped them plan for the mission and his actions in the village.

“But I don’t know if our trees were lucky after all,” Naruto sighed.

“What?” the jonin asked, and Sakura shared of their time seeking lucky trees.

“Huh. And who thought to look into it?” the copy nin asked.

“Iruka-sensei,” Sasuke told him, and the jonin looked at the other man, who shrugged again.

“I see,” Kakashi commented.

The genin asked about his own mission; when and where did he find the statue? He shared bits and pieces, telling them most of it was confidential. As he spoke, Kakashi yawned here and there, and Iruka eventually suggested they leave him to rest.

“Can we come back tomorrow?” Sakura asked, and Kakashi nodded.

“Of course,” he told them, and the group said their goodbyes.

Outside of the hospital on the street, Iruka suggested they get lunch and finish their report. The genin eagerly agreed, and eventually went to turn it in. Iruka debriefed with them as well, and reviewed what lay ahead for them.

“Take the rest of today, and all of tomorrow off,” he said. “Then I think you’ll be back with Asuma’s team until Kakashi is approved to return, which shouldn’t be too long from now.” The genin grumbled but agreed, since it wouldn’t be for long. “I also know they’ve got a mission out of the village and you’ll be going with them, so you’ll be busy again before you know it,” he told them, clearly boosting their mood. He laughed and thanked them again for their time with him, dismissing them before heading home himself to rest.

The next day Iruka took a few hours of work at the missions office, and spent the time there writing his own report of the mission and time with Team Seven, as it was a quiet shift.

The familiar ANBU appeared part way through and greeted him. “No more team?” the cat mask asked, after asking how Iruka was.

“No, and I gave them the day off; they’re probably visiting Kakashi today.”

“Nice. What about you?”

“What about me?” Iruka asked, confused.

“Are you going to visit him?”

“Oh, no,” Iruka laughed. “They can have time as a team.”

“He might want to debrief with you, sensei to sensei.”

Iruka considered it for a moment before shrugging. “He can read the report.”

“It’s not the same,” the ANBU said, and Iruka shrugged again.

“If he wants a verbal report, I suppose I can give one. I won’t have high hopes for any other information he’ll get that way, but whatever. It’s his team, so it’s his call.”

“Noted,” the ANBU said before leaving, and Iruka shook his head at it all. He was only slightly surprised to receive word that Kakashi did want to meet with him when possible, and
Iruka sighed as he went after an early dinner, figuring he might as well get it over with.

Iruka politely greeted the other man, finding him in a sleeveless black singlet with mask attached, looking quite healthy and relaxed, all things considered. The jonin asked about the missions and Iruka shared information as he sat by the man’s bedside, as well as that he had turned in a written report for review as well.

“Thanks. I’m getting discharged tomorrow or the next day, so perhaps I’ll read it this week,” Kakashi told him.

“Congrats. The kids will be on a mission with Asuma’s team soon.”

“I see,” Kakashi said, and the room fell into silence. Iruka was starting to think that he should leave, when Kakashi spoke again. “Thank you for working with them.”

Iruka rolled his eyes; he was going to wait to bring it up until the man was medically cleared, but fine, now would work too. “Guess you got what you wanted, huh?” he bitterly posed.

“What?”

“Yeah, all those times you pestered me to train them, take them off your hands? And then you took a mission to really not give me a choice? You got what you wanted, and you’ve got some nerve just…just pawning them off, without a care!”

“That’s not it at all!” the copy nin protested.

“Oh yeah?” Iruka sneered.

“I was trying to flirt,” Kakashi said, and Iruka’s brain blanked out.

“What?”

“Yeah, I wanted to spend time with you.”

“You kept asking me to train the kids, instead of you.”

“Not instead of, with me,” the jonin told him.

“What?”

“And I thought I could start by having you join us for a night or two away in the field.”

“What?” Iruka repeated once more, so entirely confused by nearly everything in his life right now.

“I thought we could hang out while the kids were asleep or doing their own thing. Like talk over tea by the fire, just us.” Kakashi shifted from where he was sitting in bed. “Did I not make it clear?”

“Uh…” Iruka began. Memories of what Sarutobi had said after the mission came back to Iruka, and he wondered if rather than refer to an eye, the older man was hinting that Kakashi had spent much time putting duty before anything else. Like a personal life. Or learning to flirt.

“I did ask you to dinner, even…”

“I thought it was to discuss training them?” Iruka weakly posed.

“And, I mean, if I liked you before, I like you even more now,” Kakashi continued.

“What?”

“Yeah,” the jonin said, looking at Iruka. “You rescued me. My hero,” he sighed dreamily, as he had back in the mission….when Iruka had rescued him. “Like in a book. Came in all badass and fought for me.”

Iruka laughed at it all. “That’s not –”

“So dreamy!”

“Speaking of, why were you there, and not able to escape?”

Kakashi sighed. “It’s a long story. I went as myself, but there was a trap that I barely missed. So I figured that they’re on the lookout for me as me and, as you saw, disguised myself. They were so angry to not get me that they took the first Konoha shinobi they could find.”

“Which was still you,” Iruka laughed.

“Exactly. They subdued me from the start, then had seals up to keep my chakra low. I felt physically fine, but not in any shape to fight my way out of there on my own. I sent word to an ANBU, as you cleverly figured out,” he said, and Iruka blushed from the praise and looked away. Kakashi grinned underneath his mask. “I knew it would be a matter of time before I could either figure out an escape or be rescued, so I convinced them to put me to use translating and transcribing things until they got a ransom for me.”

“They could have sent pieces of you for ransom,” Iruka mused, looking at him, and Kakashi shrugged.

“They were too clumsy for that. They were large, and secretive, but more talk than action. Again, I figured there would be a way to escape if I had enough time.”

“Good thing we got information to give to ANBU to speed it along, regardless. And you know, I was ready to kick your ass myself if you weren’t already in custody there,” Iruka told him.

Kakashi shrugged. “You won’t be the first person to want to do that, and it probably won’t be the last time you’ll want to.”

Iruka snorted. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously handsome?”

“No,” Iruka told him, crossing his arms over his vest.

“You saw my face,” Kakashi reminded him.

“Shut up!” Iruka hissed, feeling himself blush again.

“You saw it and liked it!”

“I don’t know it was yours!” the teacher sputtered. “You dyed your hair, it could have been…a jutsu! A disguise!”

“Wanna find out?” the copy nin asked, reaching a hand up to his mask.

“No!” Iruka shouted, looking to one side and shielding his face with a hand.

“Oh come on,” Kakashi laughed.

“No!”

“You could give me that kiss,” the older man said in a singsong.

“What kiss?” Iruka asked, as he turned to look at the jonin before he could stop himself.

Kakashi laughed again. “The kiss I wanted when you rescued me.”

“No.”

“But –”

“No.”

“But –”

“You know what?” Iruka suddenly said, grinning. “A date does sound nice.”

“It does?” Kakashi asked in surprise, sitting straighter. “I mean, it does!” he agreed, nodding.

“I think I’ll ask that tree out,” the teacher mused, and they sat in silence.

“You what?” Kakashi finally asked through clenched teeth.

“Yeah,” Iruka told him, nodding. “That tree ANBU seemed nice, the one with the cat mask,” he said, standing and waving as he headed to the door. As he was a few steps from it, a kunai flew past his head and into the door frame. Iruka turned and looked back at Kakashi. “I don’t think you’re supposed to have weapons in a hospital,” he admonished him, and the jonin glared angrily.

Iruka shrugged.

He turned to the door and walked to it, taking the kunai out of the frame before leaving with it.

Kakashi angrily summoned Tenzo, who appeared in full ANBU uniform.

“What’s up?”

“You’re not to date Iruka!” Kakashi snapped.

“Uh…why would I?” Tenzo asked, clearly confused.

“Just don’t!”

“Yeah, yeah, no problem,” Tenzo agreed, holding up his hands to placate the other man. “Did he visit?”

“Yes.”

“Uh, it go okay?”

Kakashi sighed. “He stole my kunai…”

____

Iruka had a good laugh at how he ended his visit to the jonin, but that turned into grumbling about everything else.

“Asking me out by seeming like he was giving me work to do…flirting in front of an ANBU…letting his sorry butt be captured…” he muttered as he cooked himself dinner that night.

“Though, I mean,” Iruka sighed as he ate. “He could’ve been clearer in asking me out, though no one’s perfect. I’ve certainly had my share of dating faux pas and stumbles…”

“And the team does like him,” Iruka mused as he washed dishes later and made himself tea. “They admire him and did miss him, which is saying something. Deep down I think he missed them too…”

“And sure he was captured, but that was to evade another trap,” Iruka recalled as he sat drinking tea. “Anyone would struggle if chakra was being affected. I suppose, good on him for having a plan, I wouldn’t really expect any less from him. He’s…not bad…” he thought, picking up Kakashi’s kunai and looking at it. It was well made, perfectly balanced, Iruka noted as he maneuvered it.

“His jealousy is kind of cute,” Iruka laughed out loud.

And as he went to bed later, Iruka hummed in thought. “Maybe one date won’t hurt,” he admitted, falling asleep where he dreamed about Kakashi’s face.

___

Kakashi was discharged two days later and went to wait by Hokage Tower until Iruka’s shift ended. The chuunin was surprised to see him waiting near the entrance to the tower, not that he would give the other man any satisfaction of knowing that. Admitting to himself he would agree to a date if asked again was one thing, but Iruka was not going to bring it up himself!

“Hello,” Iruka greeted him in response to Kakashi’s own greeting. “I hope you were medically cleared and didn’t break free.”

“Always,” Kakashi agreed with an eye smile.

“Uh huh. Can I help you with anything?” Iruka asked.

“I want my kunai back.”

Iruka put on his most innocent face. “What kunai?”

“The one you took,” Kakashi sighed, sticking his hands in his pockets as he stood facing the other man.

“Oh, you mean the one you threw near me instead of using your words ?” Iruka politely asked, taking a kunai out of his weapons pouch. “This one?”

“You carry it with you?” Kakashi sighed happily. Iruka shrugged, twirling it around his fingers as he walked away without saying anything more. The jonin immediately followed. “My team is still away.”

“That’s true,” Iruka agreed as the other man fell in step with him to walk through the village.

“So, I've got time on my hands.”

“So it seems.”

“Uh, are you free tonight?” Kakashi asked. He knew Iruka was, for the first place Kakashi went after leaving the hospital and stopping by the memorial stone was to check any schedules for the missions office and gate duty.

“I was going to finish cleaning my gear from the mission,” Iruka casually told him.

“Oh.”

They walked in silence for a moment before Iruka spoke again.

“But I suppose I should take you to dinner,” he posed, telling himself that technically Kakashi had brought up going on a date first…

“Oh?” Kakashi asked, clearly excited.

“Just to make sure you eat something, since you might still be recovering.”

“Oh,” the jonin said in a deflated tone. He nodded, figuring he would take what he was offered.

“And I suppose after I should go on a walk with you, to help you digest,” Iruka mused, and Kakashi’s hope grew once more.

“That’s fair,” he agreed.

“And I should probably take you to a cafe after that for tea, to keep you hydrated,” the younger man said, glancing at a large tree as they passed it.

“Right!” Kakashi cheered.

“And then I should probably walk you home after, to make sure you get there okay,” Iruka commented, hiding a smile.

“Yeah you should,” Kakashi agreed again. “And a goodbye kiss, to make sure I sleep well?” he asked, shooting his shot.

Iruka shrugged. “Perhaps.”

“Mhmm,” Kakashi offered.

“Perhaps we should do that now,” Iruka said, and Kakashi froze both physically and mentally.

“Uh, what?” he asked, realizing for the first time that he had blindly followed the other man onto a wooded path nearing training grounds, far away from anyone and anything.

“I thought you asked what, twice now?” Iruka commented, pocketing the kunai as he looked at Kakashi.

“I did,” Kakashi said in a rush.

“Good,” Iruka said, reaching out and grabbing the other man by his vest as he had done when on his rescue mission, but a little gentler now as he pulled Kakashi toward him. Kakashi’s breath caught in his throat and they made eye contact for a moment, an eternity, he wasn’t sure. Iruka closed the distance, planting a kiss on masked lips without breaking eye contact.

Iruka stepped away and smiled. “Let’s go,” he said, walking away, leaving a stunned Kakashi just standing there. Iruka realized the other man hadn’t moved after he had walked about ten paces away, and laughed to himself. “You coming, or what?” he called over his shoulder.

“Yes!” Kakashi shouted, snapping back to reality. He jogged to catch up with Iruka, putting an arm around his shoulder. “So, where are we having dinner?”