Anime: Naruto
Pairings: Kakairu (of course) and Sasunaru if you squint and really, really read between the lines
One of the many (upcoming) sequels to 'Running Into Each Other.' I had a lot I wanted to add, but I was afraid that if I let it go on to long, I'd never get to the end! So here are some short additions…
Weeeelll, Kakashi and Iruka are together, but what happens when no one else knows about it?….Read on to find out!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sakura walked slowly between Sasuke and Naruto. Her head was down, but she kept stealing glances over at their teacher. Kakashi-sensei's been acting strange all morning. I wonder what's going on. As she watched, Kakashi looked quickly back over his shoulder at Konoha as it shrank into the distance. At least it looked like he was looking at Konoha. For all Sakura could tell, he might have just been checking to make sure no one was following them. But Sakura was almost positive that she didn't feel anyone else's presence, and Kakashi'd been looking back at the village ever since they left.
She jabbed a surreptitious elbow into Sasuke's side, knowing better than to try the same thing with Naruto. When Sasuke glared at her, she jerked her head towards Kakashi, trying to communicate her question. Sasuke snorted almost silently and turned away from her again. Sakura sighed and resumed walking. Maybe I'm just being suspicious for no reason.
When they made camp that night, Kakashi volunteered to take the first watch, disappearing into the darkness. Sakura waited until his presence had vanished, "What's up with Kakashi-sensei?"
"Hn." Sasuke was studying the trees, waiting for any sign of the Jounin returning, which would mean the end of Sakura's babbling.
Naruto looked completely confused, though that wasn't very different from any normal situation. "Whaddya mean, Sakura-chan?"
"Well, one, he kept looking back at the village." Sakura held enumerated her reasons on her fingers. "Two, he's been showing up a lot sooner than he has in the past." She paused as Naruto pulled a face.
"He's always late!"
"Yeah, he's still late, but he's not as late as he usually is. Three, he keeps giving us excuses that have to do with a dolphin."
Sasuke snorted. He'd noticed Kakashi's strange behavior as well and had seriously considered broaching the subject with his team. But that would have destroyed the reputation of the uncaring, unemotional jerk that he'd been cultivating for so many years.
Naruto still looked blank.
"You know what I think?" Sakura whispered gleefully.
Nartuo shook his head; Sasuke continued to stare off into the trees, but she saw his ear twitch.
Sakura's voice dropped even lower. "I think Kakashi-sensei's in love."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Iruka resisted the urge to slam his head down on the desk in the mission room. Maybe, he though idly, if I hit it hard enough, I might pass out. Then they'll leave me alone.
The mission room was not the world's most exciting place to work. In fact, it was one of the singularly, most mind-numbingly boring places to work. Iruka passed his time grading the ever-present papers that followed him around thanks to his other job. Some ninjas slept, some read, some practiced ninjutsu (though they usually did that when the Hokage wasn't around. The Sandaime had pitched a fit when a poorly aimed fire jutsu had charred his favorite chair and had banned the practice of jutsu's). A few ninjas used the time to torture their fellow workers. Unfortunately for Iruka, he happened to be working with one of those ninja. And he was Genma's favorite target. And Genma was really good at getting the Hokage involved in his 'torment Iruka' schemes.
"….I'm telling you." Genma was saying. " You spend way too much time with those papers, Iruka-sensei. What we need to find you is a good girlfriend to….distract you." Genma grinned wickedly at him around the senbon between his teeth as he finished.
Iruka felt his face turn several different shades of red.
"Actually," The Hokage jumped in, though his voice was much less malicious than Genma's had been. "I think Genma-san has a point. Papers just aren't the same as human company." The Hokage's eyes glinted, suddenly. "You know, I have a granddaughter who would be just your type…."
Iruka dropped his head, ears burning furiously, and tried to concentrate on the essay in front of him. He would have succeeded, too, if he hadn't realized that Genma and the Sandaime were setting up a blind date for him. But, even though they started discussing times and places, Iruka still (barely) managed to ignore them. It was only when they started talking about the jutsu's needed to ensure that Iruka showed up, that Iruka finally lost his temper.
"Look!" He shouted slamming both his hands down on the desk. "I'm already seeing someone, so drop it!"
The surprise on the other men's faces lasted for about .25 seconds. Then the gazes turned evil again.
"Oh you are?" Genma practically purred. "And who would that be?"
Iruka gapped at them, trying to figure out where this conversation had taken such a dangerous turn for the worse. As his brain struggled to come up with a believable answer, his eye caught the clock on the wall. "G-g-gomen, Hokage-sama, Genma-san. I…class….I'm going to be late." He grabbed his papers and bag and fled the room, hoping against hope that this would be forgotten by the next time he ran into Genma and the Sandaime.
Said men were watching the Chuunin's rapidly retreating back. The senbon twitched between Genma's lips as his expression changed from surprised to grinning, and he quickly gathered his stuff, heading for the door.
"Where are you going?" The Hokage asked.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I want to find out who's managed to break through Iruka-kun's ice wall."
"You're shift's not over for another fifteen minutes."
"If I tell you when I find out, will you let me go." Genma chuckled when the Hokage nodded and headed out the door.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sakura bit her lip as they headed out the next morning. They'd only been walking for a few minutes before Naruto put their plan into action. Naruto'd refused to believe that Kakashi was in love. He'd pointed out that the only things Kakashi loved were those stupid Icha Icha books. He argued with her for a least a half an hour before Sasuke'd decked him and suggested that they just ask Kakashi.
Both Sakura and Naruto had stared at him like he'd lost his mind. And then proceeded to come up with an elaborate and utterly ridiculous plan to get their answer.
Naruto heaved an enormous sigh, "Neeee, Kakashi-sensei?" He whined, putting on his best little kid face. "I'm bored. Can't we do something?"
Kakashi just glanced at him, then continued walking.
"I know," Sakura chimed in, a little too quickly. Are they actually agreeing with each other. Kakashi briefly tried to figure out if enemy nin had switched either Sakura or Naruto during the night, then came to the conclusion that they were plotting something and decided to go with the flow until he figured out where they were going with this. "Let's play a game." Sakura finished, smiling happily up at their sensei.
"Hn." Sasuke muttered. At least he didn't seem any different.
"What kind of game?" Kakashi asked, warily.
"Truth." Sakura declared.
"Isn't it usually truth or dare?" Kakashi wondered vaguely.
"Nope." Naruto added. "This game's different. Someone asks a question and if you don't answer truthfully, you get to make them do something." Naruto grinned as he finished.
"Maaa, And how do you know if they're telling the truth?"
"C'mon, Kakashi-sensei, you must know a jutsu that makes people tell the truth? Or does something if they don't?" Naruto looked very hopeful.
Something in the back of Kakashi's mind warned him that this was a VERY bad idea. But he figured the worst they could ask him was what was under his mask. And he already had a truthful answer for that. His face. So he shrugged and formed the seals quickly. "Alright, here's the deal. If you lie, you glow blue."
"Oi, can I try it out?" Naruto shouted. Kakashi shrugged. Naruto turned to Sakura, "Sakura-chan, I love you! See, you never believed me before, but now you have to, cause I'm telling the…" He trailed off as he noticed a faint blue glow around his body.
One of Kakashi's eyebrows arched upwards. Even Sasuke looked surprised.
"Ano, Kakashi-sensei, I think this jutsu's backwards."
Kakashi shook his head. "No, Naruto, it's working fine." Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. And he settled in to watch his team fight out their differences.
"Wait, Sakura-chan, who do you love?" Naruto was very confused at this point. I don't love Sakura-chan? Then who?
"Sasuke-kun." Duh. Both boys and their sensei waited for a second before realizing that Sakura was telling the truth. Inner-Sakura punched the air happily. See! I'm not confused like Naruto. Then she remembered their plan, "What about you, Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi stopped walking, but managed to smile at his team before answering. "No one."
"You know," Naruto said slyly. "Blue's kinda a good color on you."
"Who is it?" Sakura yelped.
"A person." The blue light vanished.
Sakura ground her teeth together, before realizing the solution. "Ninja?"
"No." The blue light returned.
"Hah!" Naruto yelled, catching on. "She's a ninja!"
"Jounin?"
"Yes." The blue light remained stubbornly in place.
Sakura chuckled evily. "Chuunin."
Kakashi sighed. "Yes, and we're done playing now." He raised his hands to form the seals to end the jutsu, but Sasuke and Naruto jumped him, effectively pinning him down to the ground. Sakura started listing off any female chuunin she could think of, and Kakashi answered no to every one of them. And the blue light didn't return.
Sakura growled under her breath as she rapidly ran out of options. Sasuke watched to whole process from where he was sitting on Kakashi's feet and spoke up as Sakura paused for breath. "Is your love female?"
Naruto and Sakura started at him. Kakashi turned a death glare on Sasuke, but the young Uchiha folded his arms and glared right back. "No." Kakashi snarled it out, then whipped his arms up, dislodging his team and vanished from sight.
Kakashi dusted off his sleeves. Stupid team. No need to dig into my personal life like that. They're going to regret this!
The members of Team 7 looked at each other for a long time before Naruto spoke up. "Kakashi-sensei's gay?"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Ahhhh….like it? Hate it? I'm still not sure what I think about it, so let me know, should I continue or let this fizzle? Sorry if other characters are OOC, I don't write them very often.
Sunlight through Leaves