Kailleh: This just randomly popped in my head, my second kakairu ficcie. It's a oneshot with an ending that could become a chappied ficcie if the reviewers want. Read my other stories too and please leave a review.
Disclaimer: Naruto's not mine!
Title: The Hound And The Ninja
Dedication: to Kiara and Zeta-kun
KaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKailleh
Bite I
Behind The Hound's Mask
"You're going back to the frontline." Tsunade said as she folded her hands infront of her, the fifth hokage saw her shinobi stiffened as those words left her lips. "I'm sorry to bring you back here."
"Hokage-sama, I've retired from this five years ago. The third have died I only take orders from him." the shinobi seethed, he had finished this kind of job when the Sarutobi had given him a chance for an at least much stable life. He wouldn't want to go back in being a shinobi who was specially trained to become a perfect fighting machine, he already given his youth to Konoha. Wasn't it enough.
I'm your Hokage now shinobi, I have the rights to order you around. You, the Demon Hound, feared by even the Anbu squad at your youth and Surotobi's personal ninja needs to go to another hunting mission." Tsunade knew that the shinobi infront of her wouldn't readily agreed but she needed the extraordinary skills of this man that was trained by the former Hokage himself.
"I refuse the mission Hokage-sama. I am a retired Hound Shinobi under the law once retired I can refuse mission if given again." the man went for the door and opened it to leave, "Good day Hokage-sama." and with that he left.
Tsunade threw an exasperated sigh, that didn't go too well she knew that she coudn't force the Demon Hound in accepting the mission but his tracking, taijutsn and ninjutsu skills were superior not to mention his unique bloodline limit. The Hokage couldn't pull other Anbus because they were all out in missions and guarding the Konoha gates, jounins could do but she knew they lack experience with tracking rogue ninjas. Tsunade wouldn't throw her shinobis to the pit of death.
KaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKailleh
Kakashi walked casually through the hallway of the Hokage Tower reading his ever present orange book, he was early to see the Hokage. Well, earlier than he usually was which meant, he was late for an hour rather than two hours.
The great copy nin entered the Hokage office and found the busty woman signing mountain high papers on her desk. Tsunade looked up at him with a brow rise, "You're early... actually your partner for the mission just left. He refused."
Kakashi appeared bored as he put his book to his vest pocket, "The Demon Hound refused? Why?".
"He's contented to live a simple life in the village." the Hokage sighed, "We need to find a replacement ninja."
"What? You'll going to accept his refusal? Your the Hokage you can order him around." Kakashi scoffed remembering the times the Hokage would kill him if he didn't take the missions given to him. It was a frightening memory.
Tsunade stood up to walk over the large glass window facing the Konoha Village, "He grew up as an outcast from his village. Upon coming to Konoha his parents died, due to his unique abilities the Third caught an interest on him. He became the Demon Hound at the age of thirteen, the only Hound Shinobi produced by Konoha... in his missions his comarades died but he'd still pulled himself from death. He became a zombie who fought with no cautions, to kill without a trace of hesitation and guilt." sadness were evident from the Hokage's eyes, "He live a life far than even those in the anbu squad, now that he live as a person who's gentleness is given to almost anyone he doesn't want to go back to his past."
Kakashi understood a little of the Hound Shinobi's pain but wasn't it cowardice? To walk away the path he stood on before, just to fulfill a selfish act to live a normal life off the blood tainted grounds of the shinobi's playground? Konoha was a village of ninjas, and on the top of that, the shinobi's responsiblities was to protect the village from inside or outside threats, even if it could cost them their lives.
"He's being selfish. A lot of us want a peaceful life too but this is the reality shinobis like us live in. Our lives are for the protection of the village." Kakashi the disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving the Hokage to think of a solution on her predicament.
KaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKailleh
Iruka waited on his table until his food was served, the barbeque house was packed with people that day. It was a usual sight for the restaurant in weekends, days when families could go out and enjoy the day. Something the young sensei wasn't been able to experience.
"Iruka-sensei." Iruka brought his gaze up and found himself staring at Kakashi's eye, the chuunin smiled warmly and gestured the jounin to join him.
"It's sad eating alone? With all the people enjoying their love ones company, Ne sensei?" Kakashi said after the waiter took of his order, the chuunin look thoughtful a flash of sadness passing his warm brown eyes.
"Yes, something so precious to watch." Iruka sighed.
"I want to protect this, these people and this village. That's why I became a shinobi." the jounin had become good friends with the gentle chuunin through the years because of Naruto, they were somewhat friends that could have a decent conversation.
"Only few people see that protecting the village is worth dying for. I'm glad some still have that belief."
"I'm going to a mission the following day Iruka-sensei" Kakashi opened up as his order was placed on their table. "I'll be hunting a rogue ninja scouting the village nearby. I heard he posseses a powerful bloodline."
Iruka blinked and found his friend's plate empty and Kakashi smiling again, "You should eat slowly or you'll upset your stomach!" the chuunin lectured earning him a chuckle from the older man. "Maa, maa sensei! I'm sorry!"
Kakashi's chuckle was cut short when he found Iruka staring seriously at him, "Iruka-sensei?"
"Be careful."
The jounin's eye widened a little at the the chuunin's words, he smiled lightly. "I will though it's not like someone will be sad if I die."
"Having no family doesn't mean that nobody cares." Iruka snapped, "I will be sad."
Kakashi watched in silence as Iruka continued eating, he was shocked at the young teacher's bluntness. Suddenly, the jounin felt warmth in his heart, something he never felt before.
"If only that Hound Shinobi agreed to be my partner in the mission I can lie low in there." Kakashi said. Iruka stiffened and stared at him again, "Isn't that shinobi already dead?"
"That's what the village know, since nobody really knows his identity except the Third and now the Fifth." the jounin's eye narrowed as he continue. "He refused the mission. A mission that can save the lives of a thousand."
The chuunin thought for a while, "Maybe he had a reason. That maybe he doesn't want to kill anymore."
Kakashi nodded at that but argued, "If killing a person can save more lives it will be worth it. This is a village of ninjas. Everyone of us promised to serve and protect this place and its people even if it cost our lives."
Iruka seemed preoccupied for a minute before he said back, "He's not afraid to die for the village, maybe he's afraid to kill again to be a ruthless murderer."
"It's not like he's the only one who needs to be one. I, like the others from the anbu, killed a lot too." Kakashi's voice was small, "A lot."
The jounin felt a hand gripped his fisted one, Kakashi stared at Iruka who gave him a small smile. "I understand."
Iruka finished his food and they decided to leave. The night wind was chilly that the chuunin found himself leaning closer to his friend for warmth. Kakashi felt Iruka moved closer, with a small hesitation the jounin brought an arm to wrap loosely at the young teacher's shoulder.
"Ka-kashi-sensei?"
"It's chilly out here."
And they left that as that, that the night was chilly. Iruka blushed a little when he felt Kakashi pulled him closer, they were close to his apartment and the chuunin blushed harder realizing that Kakashi just walked him home.
"Kakashi-sensei? I... ah... am already home." Iruka whispered expecting for the jounin to released him but instead Kakashi leaned closer to him catching his lips with a masked kiss. Iruka stood stoned on the ground when Kakashi pulled away from him, the jounin smiled. "If I can pull off my next mission... maybe we can you know... ah... date?"
And before the chuunin could answer, the famous copy nin disappeared in a puff of smoke.
KaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKailleh
"Well, I asked one of the anbu captain to be your partner for the mission since the Hound refused the mission." Tsunade sighed as she sat at her chair facing Kakashi wearing his anbu uniform.
Kakashi nodded and was about to pulled his mask to cover his face when a swirl of water fountain came from the floor and when it cleared a man wearing a uniform like an anbu stood there. He was few inches shorter than Kakashi, his body was lean but well toned, shoulder lenght brown hair hugging his face that was covered by a black mask painted with red cross on his right cheek.
"No need Tsunade. I will accompany Hatake Kakashi with this mission." thd Hound Shinobi said, Tsunade smirked at the daze look the copy nin giving to the other shinobi.
"Demon Hound."
The Hound Shinobi turned to the copy nin, a hand grasping his mask as he took it off. Kakashi's eyes widened as the identity of the famous Demon Hound was revealed, those warm hazel eyes and that sacred scar on the his nose were enough proof.
"Iruka-sensei."
Iruka smiled, "I'll protect the village with you so I can assure that you can get back alive so we can go to your promised date." the chuunin blushed when the jounin pulled his mask, approached him and kissed him infront of the Hokage.
Tsunade faked a cough making her shinobis to pull out, Iruka blushed while Kakashi just smirked pulling his mask up. "As I'm very happy for both of you the mission is very important now." It was as if the wind changed, because suddenly both shinobis stood erected faces becoming serious.
KaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKailleh
They left the Konoha gates before dawn, they could arrive at the next town after a day. It was already nighttime that both decided to start a camp, Iruka set up the camp while Kakashi gathered the fire woods. They didn't need to hide since their target was said to be at the village they would be going. At most they could alert some thiefs which they could easily defeat.
The young teacher watched as the jounin started the fire and cooked their food, Iruka knew that Kakashi had a lot of questions for him but the silver haired shinobi respected his privacy. Iruka sat beside Kakashi as they waited for their rabbits to be cooked, the jounin smiled as the chuunin took off their masks and put it aside. "Thanks."
Iruka shook his head and smiled resting his head to the jounin's shoulder, "Ask."
Kakashi glanced at the brown haired chuunin, he knew what Iruka meant so he sighed. "I can't believe you're that Hound shinobi. You're too different from each other."
"You're right the shinobi who is trained to kill and the blushing teacher who is training students are two very different persons." Iruka chuckled a little while Kakashi tickled his chin, the jounin turned to the younger shinobi and kissed Iruka's scar making the chuunin blushed.
"I just can't understand how you become this. You're kind, gentle and sweet!!" Kakashi lifted Iruka and settled the smaller man to sit between his parted legs hugging the chuunin from behind.
"I'm not originally from Konoha, I'm actually from the Mizu country, from a village where shinobis didn't live in." Iruka started, "My mother, an orphan, was somewhat an outcast because she was born with a bloodline limit. She was treated as a monster in a village with no knowledge about those things. She was a slave of her ability to control water. Her life was miserable until she met my father who was a shinobi on a mission. They fell in love and like other couple mother gave herself to my father, then my father needed to come back to his village but promised to comeback." Iruka gazed at the fire as if he tasted something bitter but decided to continue.
"He didn't come back even until I was born. The village people became more brutal because my mother bore another monster. I grew up with the village hating me, despising me and hurting me... that was until I fought back... I used our bloodline limit and killed those people who hurt me and my mother... I can still taste their blood that splattered on my face... I was only three years old then... so young yet already... already a murderer."
Kakashi held the chuunin tighter, he never thought of the gentle teacher to have a very chaotic past. If only he could washed away his sadness but the chuunin readily continued. "We left the village then. My mother worried about my safety, we hid in other villages that was until we met a Konoha shinobi and my mother fell in love again. My stepfather brought us to Konoha adopting me, making me Umino Iruka. The Third Hokage knew of my abilities that I was secretly trained under his supervision since he had nothing else to do because the Fourth had already stepped as a Hokage. The Kyuubi then attacked the village killing both of my parents, the Fourth died and the Third took the Hokage position again... I became a Hound Shinobi then, a shinobi that was used to track down rogue ninjas to kill them. I was known to be Demon Hound, a ruthless rogue killers. But as I became the father figure of the vessel of Kyuubi, I felt as if Naruto was like me that I wanted to protect him and I wanted a more stable life. As Naruto grew older I requested to become a full pledge teacher not the part-time I was in and left behind a Hound Shinobi."
Iruka leaned back at Kakashi as if he was drained, he felt tired after telling the jounin his life story. The jounin understood and buried his face on Iruka's soft brown lock, "That's a good decision."
"I know but now that I have to do this one assignment... I feel like a monster again." Iruka choked the last part of his statement but then his sadness was shortlived when Kakashi turned him around and crushed their lips together.
"You're not a monster... You're never was." Kakashi scolded when he pulled away pulling Iruka to his chest, Iruka cried then. It wasn't acceptable for a shinobi to show his weakness but here in Kakashi's arms he felt as if it was alright. "Kakashi... Thank you."
Kakashi smiled, there was something his soul wanted to say words forming on his lips, the jounin opened his mouth. "I love you."
Iruka stopped crying, he looked up at Kakashi in the eyes and found out that the jounin wasn't lying. Truth was written all over his face. Slowly he brought his hands to cup Kakashi's face and pulled it closer to his, whispering "I love you." before their lips met.
The dark sky shed their tears as rain came down from the sky, it was a sight to see as the rain water never fell upon the couple. Blue light protected the lovers' embrace, making a shield of light absorbing the rain drops that became frozen ice.
Both shinobis were scarred in ways nobody could understand but even if the world hurt them in the past their future in each other arms would protect themselves from the harshness of the world.
Kakashi promised that even if Iruka seemed to be more powerful and skilled than him, he would protect the scarred chuunin and would never let his hands be covered with life blood again.
KaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKaillehKailleh
Kailleh: And cut. It's a one-shot but if you want me to continue review! Hehehehe I will make new chapters if the reviewers want me to, if you think this is good enough to be a chaptered fic. So review people! Ja ne!