Burn for You

by KakashiSauce

The war is finally over, and the village of Konoha is trying to pick up the pieces. Iruka is trying his best to work with the children, but adjusting after such a dark battle isn't easy for everyone. Especially Iruka, who is becoming more and more mesmerized with the village's new Hokage, Kakashi. KakaIru. Yaoi. Warning: If you are behind on the manga this may contain spoilers

1. Chapter 1

WARNINGS: I do not own Naruto. Also, Male/Male, with a little "Non-con" that doesn't go that far. So if non-con freaks you out, don't worry, just skip past it.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Iruka sighed as he stared at his class. Everyone was either terrorized or glaring at him like he was wasting their time. The war had only come to an end a mere week ago, but Tsunande insisted the village 'return to normal' as quickly as possible. That was difficult, considering the last week had been purely funerals for their fallen comrades. Neji's had been particularly painful for Iruka, but he had known every single leaf shinobi who had lost their lives trying to unite the world and end Madara's reign of terror. It made perfect sense that his students, mere children, were still going to be shaking off the effects of fearing for their lives for so long. No one really recovered from being forced into a cocoon and almost doomed to a life of fake dreams while their chakra was slowly drained from their bodies.

But they'd have to. They owed it to those who had died. The children would learn that soon enough.

"Please, turn to page 16 in your defence text books so we can catch up from where we left off."

"Why?" Came the instant protest from the back of the class. "Aren't we at peace now?"

"It's too soon to say that for sure, Keeko. And knowledge never hurt anyone, did it? Now, open your text book."

"But Jubei isn't in class!"

"Jubei is a Nara." Iruka cut in, his voice hard. "They lost the head of their clan, so he is in mourning. Don't be disrespectful." Iruka's tone was warning now, where it had just been soft and tender. He understood how the kids felt, but he needed to be firm. Some semblance of normality is what Iruka would try to give them.

The class seemed to calm down at the shift in tone from their Sensei. The lesson finally began.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

With a loud sigh Iruka stepped out of the academy building. He felt the urge to turn and stare up at the sign, as if he felt he wouldn't be seeing it for much longer. Who knew what would happen in the future? He supposed children always needed to be educated, but in what?

"Sensei!"

A broad smile cracked Iruka's face as he spun with enthusiasm. Naruto darted towards him, his good arm waving and his toothy grin in place. In seconds he had a pile of teenager in his arms whom he willingly clutched to his chest.

"There you are, Naruto...you're late for our lunch date." The chuunin chided with pure affection. Naruto grinned up at him from his spot against his chest.

"Sorry, sorry! Was just talking to Tsunande!"

Iruka frowned slightly, unable to help gently touching Naruto's arm just above where the scarring was. "She's able to help you, then?"

"YEAH!" The blond cheered, jumping back and waving his stump around with far too much enthusiasm. "She's making us another arm with Hashirama-sama's cells. She says it'll be ready in a few weeks; how great is that!?"

Iruka laughed, deeply and truly. "That's incredible. I'm very relieved."

Relieved was an understatement. Ever since Naruto returned, Iruka could hardly keep away from him. He was alive, although not exactly whole, and a hero. The sensei felt his entire chest burn with the love he felt for his surrogate little brother every time he saw his face or heard his name. He couldn't be happier for him, and prouder of what he'd accomplished.

"Come on, Naruto. I've never seen you delay ramen for so long."

The blond groaned and rubbed his belly and the two laughed and continued on their way.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was starting to get dark when Iruka and Naruto parted ways; it seemed to be just as hard for the blond to stay away from Iruka as it was for the chuunin. With a smile still lingering on his lips, Iruka headed home. He had some very poorly done homework to grade. The teacher was really hoping a few D's and F's would snap his students out of their funks and get them into learning again, though he could hardly blame them for not jumping into it.

Instincts told him he was about to smack into something he shouldn't and he snapped out of his revere just in time. Kakashi was walking towards him, hands in his pockets, and a tinge of amusement lining his eyes. Clearly, he'd noticed Iruka was about to collide him in a very un-ninja like manner. Iruka blushed, as he always found himself doing around Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sama! It's great to see you."

The copy-nin laughed lightly and scratched his nose in embarrassment. "Iruka-sensei...please. It's a little early for formalities."

Everyone in the village was talking about Tsunande stepping down and Kakashi being her replacement; it had practically already been done.

"Isn't the ceremony going to be soon?" Iruka teased. Kakashi still had much of his same personality before the war, and an aversion to being Hokage came with the package.

"Maa...perhaps."

Iruka's smile just wouldn't diminish no matter how hard he tried to be demure before the great Kakashi. He couldn't help it; he was proud of him. Not only had he done amazingly in the war, but he'd apparently formulated the plan that rallied Team 7 and ended Kayuga. And now, he was going to be Hokage. Iruka was practically star struck.

"I am very glad for you, Kakashi-san. And so is Naruto; I was just with him. Whenever he says your name he practically blushes, he's so proud of his Sensei. It seems you two grew even closer during the war."

Something seemed to twinkle in Kakashi's eye before he spoke. "It seems you share his sentiments, Sensei, if your blush is any indication."

Iruka was struck speechless. His mouth fell open just slightly and his blush spread in a wave across his face. Mortified, he tried to adjust himself.

"I...I'm sorry, It's just-"

Kakashi laughed, open and friendly. Iruka had never heard such a thing from the elusive copy-nin. He found himself speechless again, for entirely different reasons.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you, Sensei. I appreciate your thoughts. You've always been one of the most genuine people in this village."

Dumbfounded, Iruka could only stare in shock. There was something immensely different about Kakashi, and it was an entirely positive development. Joy seemed to line his eyes instead of boredom. His laughter was light and airy, as if he'd never fought a battle in his life. Something about it made Iruka's heart fill with warmth.

"Kakashi-san..." Iruka started, unsure of how to word his question. He didn't want to be presumptuous before the next Hokage. "You seem different. In a good way, of course. It's as if...you're lighter, almost."

Once again, something seemed to flash in Kakashi's eyes, but Iruka couldn't interpret what it was. It made his face feel even hotter.

"How perceptive of you, Sensei." Kakashi commented, his voice velvety. "If you'll please excuse me, I have an appointment with Tsunande. Wouldn't want to keep her waiting."

Iruka almost stammered an apology he was so flustered. With a sly smile, Kakashi lightly bowed to him in parting before he stuffed his hands back into his pockets and continued on his way. Iruka stared after him. The chuunin had no idea what to think. Normally, wars damaged people, but Kakashi seemed almost...no. Iruka knew nothing about him, he could insinuate nothing. But still...it was true, he seemed almost...

Healed.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The chuunin returned to his apartment with a little spring in his step. Without missing a beat, he flew through his kitchen and prepared dinner. Something light, since he'd eaten a lot of ramen with Naruto at lunch. He brewed some tea, lit a candle and sat down on his couch with his meal. He found it difficult to chew without choking as he remembered his conversation with the young war hero. Naruto really knew how to make him laugh. When dinner was eaten and the dishes were done, he flopped down at his work table with his tea and cracked his knuckles. Time to sort through the trash.

Iruka found his thoughts drifting to Kakashi as he tried to grade his students homework. The infamous copy-nin had lost none of his charm, that was certain. Iruka could never seem to hold it together around him. Kakashi had so many things Iruka felt he lacked; charm, charisma, confidence. However, there had always been something...dark about Kakashi. Brooding, almost. Despite being personable to whoever approached him, Kakashi was always emotionally closed off. Naruto had complained about it quite a bit during the first couple of years with Kakashi as his sensei. He also said Kakashi teased him mercilessly and could be almost cruel if he chose to. Iruka definitely knew what that felt like; Kakashi had practically flayed him alive when he'd protested his decision to enter his students into the chuunin exams. Crossing the copy-ninja was something to be done only if you were prepared for a vicious fight, and Iruka had never attempted it again.

Now, Kakashi was a war hero and the next in line to be Hokage. He seemed even more unattainable, like a star glittering just out of reach. Yet...despite his increased status, his attitude was far more magnetic. Perhaps Iruka was just putting too much weight on one simple conversation, but he couldn't shake it. Kakashi had changed, and for the better.

Iruka slapped himself on the face and forced his concentration back to his papers. He was being utterly ridiculous in thinking about Kakashi so much. He needed to put his feet back on the ground. He was still just a school teacher; Kakashi was practically a celebrity.

Somehow, that made his heart hurt. He took a long sip of tea and forced himself to get over it.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The next week went by in a blur of jaded students and terrible assignments. Iruka had predicted it would be tough getting the kids back into the mindset for school, but he had no idea it would be THIS hard. Every day he struggled to keep their attention, to get them motivated. By the end of the weak the poor chuunin felt frazzled and burnt out. As he watched his class dissipate, he considered sending out a message to all their parents and asking for an after-school meeting. He wanted to speak to them and see if they noticed this attitude at home as well. Perhaps they would have suggestions.

No sooner had he decided on his approach than an eagle landed on the window ciel next to him. With a blink, Iruka held out his arm. The lithe bird landed on his outstretched limb gracefully and extended his leg. It flew off with a whoop as Iruka uncurled the scroll.

Iruka-sensei,

The Hokage requests your presence as soon as it is convenient.

-Shizune

Iruka had no idea what the Hokage could possibly want with him, but he figured now was the best time to find out. He pocketed the little note, grabbed his bag and fled the building.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Iruka-sensei, thank you for being so punctual." Tsunande greeted as she gestured ahead of her. "Please take a seat."

The chuunin did as he was told, glancing around the office as he did so. A few scattered boxes and some piles of books were the only indication that Tsunande would be moving out of the office soon. Iruka supposed she didn't have many possessions.

"I called you here because I am curious to see how our children are getting on after the war." Tsunande asked easily as she rested her chin in her hands. "How have classes been?"

"Ah...actually, I'm glad you asked. It hasn't been good, I'm afraid." Iruka answered grimly. "I was just thinking of calling a parent-teacher meeting. I've tried everything I could think of, but the children just don't want to respond. They're unmotivated, some of them are grieving, and most just don't seem to want to learn."

Tsunande sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I see. Have the other teachers complained about this as well?"

"Yes, Tsunande-sama. Hibichi-chan had a student run out of her classroom screaming on Wednesday. Ebisu had to stop his entire class from jumping out of the windows on Thursday. It's becoming increasingly hard to contain them without force."

The Hokage sighed loudly and rubbed her forehead. She definitely seemed tired, perhaps older, despite her physical appearance remaining unchanged. The war had taken a lot out of her.

"Perhaps it was a mistake sending them back so soon..." She murmured to herself.

"If I may...I don't think it was a mistake, Tsunande-sama. I think some normalcy is what the children need. Maybe they just need more time, and for us to be more patient. I was thinking of cutting my lesson plans in half. Give them more time to play outside, and lighter homework. Just to start things off."

A light smile appeared on her face. "I like it. Please, write me a simple report on how things are progressing by the end of next week."

Iruka was about to respond but nearly jumped out of his seat when a light chuckle sounded behind him. He turned, and with barely concealed surprise, noted Kakashi leaning against the wall opposite his chair. When the hell had he come in?

"What's your problem, kid?" Tsunande called affectionately to her next-in- line.

"No problem." The jounin shrugged. "I think it's a good sign that the kids are giving us a hard time; it's what they do."

Kakashi pushed off the wall and approached the Hokage's desk. He lay a gentle hand on Iruka's shoulder in greeting before continuing to stand beside Tsunande. "I like your idea, Iruka. I think they just need a bit of time to adjust. Being with their friends all day will help them."

Iruka smiled at Kakashi in thanks for his praise. Internally, he felt his heart rate quicken. The way Kakashi affected him was seriously starting to worry the chuunin.

"I was just about to send Iruka on his way. Did you have anything you wanted to ask him, Kakashi?"

"No." The jounin answered gently. "But I am also curious to see how things progress. If Iruka-sensei doesn't mind, I'd like to stop by the school next week."

"Oh...the Hokage visiting the children. What an excellent propagandist you are." Tsunande teased. Kakashi scrunched his nose at her in response while Iruka visibly gaped.

"The ceremony is that soon?"

"It will be in two days. Oh...have I not made the announcement?" At the silence in the room, Tsunande sighed loudly. "Just great. Shizune is never going to let me hear the end of it..."

"I'll see Iruka out." Kakashi chuckled. Tsunande sent him a filthy look, which bounced off Kakashi's back like a spitball. Iruka stood, bowed to Tsunande, and followed Kakashi's lead to the door. Unexpectedly, Kakashi left the room with him, closing the door gently behind them.

"I'm curious." Kakashi began once they were alone. "What, in your opinion, do you think is preventing our children from behaving? It is merely the aftermath of the war, or something else?"

Iruka smiled gently at the jounin's concern. "It's a handful of reasons, from what I can see. There are some students in my class who have lost a loved one. Some of them simply don't understand what is going to happen to our village, and so, I think their fear is making them lash out. There even seem to be some students who are bitter at the ninja system, and so, they don't want to learn anything related to ninjutsu. It's a difficult balance to achieve, trying to cater to all of them."

Kakashi nodded to himself as he considered Iruka's words. "I expected this. War is never easy on anyone, even those not directly involved."

"Kakashi..." Iruka started, rubbing his scar in uncertainty. "I think...there's something else. My theory is that the students are shaken from being in the infinite tsukuyomi. Everyone living their wildest dreams, in the flesh, as if it was real. It felt like true happiness...and then it was gone. And now there's reality. I really am worried the children are having a hard time grasping that."

When Iruka looked back up at Kakashi, he could see his entire demeanour had changed. He looked serious, his eyes hard. He was starting deep into Iruka as if trying to grasp something from his subconsciousness.

"What do you propose we do about it?"

"Ah..." Iruka faltered, never having been able to withstand Kakashi's intensity for long. "I really don't know. I'm sorry. I think they just need time."

Kakashi continued to hold Iruka with his piercing gaze before he continued. "How are you dealing with it?"

All colour drained from Iruka's face. He tried to hide it, but Kakashi was incredibly sharp. The shift in his stance told Iruka he'd caught his discomfort and was storing it away in the large database he kept in his mind.

"I...simply accepted. That's all." The chuunin answered.

Kakashi hesitated before he continued. "How did it make you feel? When you awoke?"

The conversation was going into territory Iruka had tried desperately to forget over the past couple of weeks, and he felt exposed and weak in front of such a great ninja. The school teacher had no idea how to answer in a way that wouldn't open flood gates he'd nailed shut such a short time ago.

"I..." Iruka sucked in a deep breath. "...was disappointed, of course. But that feeling vanished when I looked around me. It was clear what had happened, and then I remembered The Tree and my fear of it before the dream had started. Everyone was quick to act, to try and make sure no one had been hurt. We didn't have much time to dwell on what we'd experienced."

Kakashi didn't make a sound or give Iruka any sign he'd acknowledged his answer, but continued all the same. "Do you think everyone else recovered?"

Glancing down, Iruka shook his head. "I can't say for certain. No one I know seems to be troubled."

"Mmm." Now Kakashi nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei. You've provided me with a lot of very valuable information."

Iruka smiled as pleasantly as he could and bowed low to Kakashi. "Of course. I am always here to help, Kakashi-sama."

When Iruka rose, he saw Kakashi levelling him with a look that plainly said 'your cheekiness has been noted.' That brought forth a genuine smile from Iruka, and to his dismay, a stereotypical blush. He turned to leave, but before he'd taken a few steps, heard Kakashi call to him.

"I encourage you to talk to your class about their dreams, Sensei. If it's troubling them, I want to address it as quickly as possible."

Iruka bowed again, assured him he would, and left.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Iruka returned home, he dropped his bag in a random corner and slumped down onto his bed.

His dream.

Every night when he went to bed, he pictured it. Every morning when he woke up, he'd wish for it. Iruka felt horrible about bold-face lying to someone who was basically the Hokage, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't talk to Kakashi, to anyone, about it. He was ashamed that he couldn't let it go, but it had felt so good. He'd never been SO happy in his life as he had in that dream and he was terrified he'd never be that happy again. That he'd go through the rest of his life living in the shadow of what he imagined his life could be like.

It had started off with his parents, of course. They had been older, as if they were alive now. Calling to him and laughing. He was visiting them with his spouse, with the love of his life. He had a child bouncing on his hip in his arms. He was so happy. His son laughed up at him and tried to tug at his forehead protector. Iruka hadn't thought anything about the fact that his son looked nothing like him at all. He was blond, with bright blue eyes and tanned skin. A beautiful boy if there ever was one. Iruka had turned around and closed his eyes, receiving an expected kiss from his love. Iruka hadn't thought twice about not catching a glimpse of his lovers face. Of not knowing...if it was male or female.

His recent stirrings for Kakashi brought that back to his mind. His son hadn't looked a thing like him and he hadn't seen what his lover looked like. Why was that?

With a sigh, Iruka turned onto his side and closed his eyes. It didn't matter. It was just a dream, an illusion. He was supposed to forget about it.

But he couldn't.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The next day Iruka showed up to class with much of the same response he'd had for the last while. The students looked like they couldn't care less about being there and were just waiting for Iruka to hurry up and waste their time.

Slowly, the chuunin unpacked his things. He had decided exactly how he was going to tackle this week, but now that it was happening, he was a little nervous. With a deep inhale he looked back up to his class and smiled warmly.

"Hello, everyone."

Various droned out forms of "hello, Iruka-sensei" greeted him. He plowed ahead.

"I'm going to do things a little differently from now on. I feel like we all need a little bit more time to adjust after the war, so there will be a lot less homework and more in school, group activities for us to do. How does that sound?"

Heads perked up all over the classroom. The students murmured, looked at each other, looked back at Iruka. Some shrugged, some stared, some nodded their consent.

"Alright. We'll give that a try and see how we all feel, hmm? But, to start out, I want to talk to you about something specific. Something I feel we should have talked about as a class from the start. I want to apologize to you for ignoring it for so long."

Now everyone was really intrigued. The class was stone silent, but he hadn't had this much attention on him in weeks.

"I want to talk about the infinite tsukuyomi." Iruka breathed.

Everyone's eyes widened. Some students scooted back in their chair. Iruka looked around, judging the responses, before he continued.

"I want to make sure you, all of you, are alright. I know we haven't been together long, but I care about each and every one of my students. I care about all of you. So, if anyone experienced something that is upsetting them, I want to know about it so we can all heal together. Ok?"

Iruka noticed a few of the kids started to look scared. One little girl already looked like she was going to cry. He figured this was a pretty good sign that there were some Iruka's in his classroom who needed to talk as much as he did.

"I'll go first so anyone else who wants to talk can feel more comfortable." Iruka shone his brightest smile to his class before he continued. "My parents died in the fight against the Kyuubi way back before you all were born. I was very young, so I've spent most of my life without them. In my dream my parents were alive. It was as if they'd never died. It's hard for me to wake up and not see them, when they felt so real to in the tsukuyomi."

His entire class was mesmerized. Iruka took another deep breath before continuing. "That's it for me. I want you guys to share your experiences too, but first I'm going to start with a volunteer. Does anyone else have a similar story to mine that they want to share?"

As was expected, there was silence. Iruka scanned the crowd. He could pick out at least six kids who had something they wanted to say. Iruka was a very patient man when he needed to be, so he stood silently and waited.

Finally, a tiny little arm went up. Iruka smiled and nodded to the little girl. Slowly, she pulled her hand down and wrung out her hands for a few seconds before she could answer.

"My sister...was killed on a mission last year. She was in my dream. We..."

A little hiccup interrupted her story. Iruka felt his heart wrench. When it looked as if she was too emotional to continue, Iruka swung around his desk and sauntered over to her. As soon as his arms were open she was in them, sobbing. Her deskmate looked just as scarred as the crying girl in his arms, staring at her friend with wide eyes. Iruka smiled and gestured. She ran over immediately and wedged herself into his chest between her friend.

Iruka gazed around the class. Some students were sniffling, and some were comforting others.

"It's alright. Let's all talk about it together." Iruka called to them softly. "It's easier if you aren't alone, isn't it?"

The chuunin felt someone tugging at his vest and he turned as best he could. A little boy stood behind him, his lip quivering. "My dad was so nice to me in my dream. But it was just a dream. He's...not so nice now..."

Iruka dislodged his arm and held it out to his small student. Instantly, he had three crying forms in his arms. He hugged them and held them as tightly as he could. "Shh, shh. It's alright, everyone. This will fade."

Someone jumped up out of their seat. "I loved my dream! I loved it so much, it's not fair! It's just not fair!"

Cries echoed out around the room.

"Shut up, Kugo, you big baby! What do you have to whine about?"

"HEY!" Iruka called. "No name calling, I absolutely will not have it."

"Well Kugo has a great life, what about me? I dreamed mom was still alive, but she's not! She's NOT!"

Iruka held his arms out to him as well, and soon there were four. It was if a dam broke. All of a sudden, the entire class rushed him. Yelling, crying, sobbing. All his children circled him, touching him, crying at him, hugging his back, hugging each other. Iruka was overwhelmed. He had no idea it was this bad.

"Everyone, it's alright. It's alright to cry, it's alright to be mad. It's okay. Yes, Miira, come here. Kugo, of course you can come too. It's alright. Shh, oh Jubei...it's alright. Everyone come closer if you want."

The teacher down the hall had heard the commotion and rushed over. She froze in the doorway at the sight before her. Iruka craned his neck back and caught her eye. She seemed to give him a look that asked 'Oh my God, are you OK?'. Iruka nodded solemnly before he turned back to his children.

"How about we have a nice recess after this? We'll play a game."

"I want my dream back." Someone sobbed. Wails and cries rose up out of the mass of children. Iruka was having a hard time keeping his own emotions in check, but he did it. He needed to. Slowly, he patted heads, rubbed backs, ran his hands through thick locks. His vest and clothes were soaked through with tears.

He needed to talk to Kakashi.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Iruka left the school hours later looking like a corpse. He had never felt so emotionally drained. Iruka felt deeply for all of his children, especially since so many of them had lost loved ones. But, he felt for himself as well. It's like his entire class had echoed his own feelings into his chest for the last five hours.

No time to rest. I need to see Kakashi as soon as possible. He thought to himself with a sigh. All he wanted to do was curl up on his bed and be unconscious, but he needed to make sure his children got the help they needed.

Iruka was brought up to Tsunande's office and told to wait. He hoped Kakashi was even here, but felt certain that he would be so close to his graduation into the Hokage's office.

Sure enough, the door opened and Kakashi gazed back at him. Instantly, he jounin looked concerned. A hand went out to Iruka's shoulder, as if the copy-nin felt he could fall over at any moment.

"What happened, Iruka?"

"The kids..." He murmured. "I asked them about the infinite tsukuyomi. They were all very upset. Many of them saw relatives who had died. They were terrorized to wake up to find them dead again."

Kakashi instantly ushered Iruka into the office and closed the doors behind him. Tsunande had heard everything and was drawing a chair out for him.

"Sit, Iruka-sensei." She commanded gently.

He plopped into the chair with little grace. Kakashi handed him a glass of water which he took gratefully, but also wondered how terrible he looked for them to be treating him this way.

"What happened to you...?" Kakashi asked, glancing down at Iruka's chest. The chuunin blinked and touched where Kakashi's eyes had wandered to. It was wet.

"It's my children. They were crying all afternoon."

Tsunande and Kakashi exchanged very serious glances.

"Should we cancel classes, Iruka?" Tsunande asked softly.

The school teacher pursed his lips as he thought. At first, he'd been opposed to the idea. But now he felt his students needed to be with their families. They needed to talk to people who would understand them. They needed more comfort.

"Yes...yes, we should. But we should let their families know that they're upset, so they can talk. They need to talk to someone else." Iruka rasped. He laughed lightly and cleared his throat before taking a sip of water. "I apologize. I've been talking a lot today." He explained with another light laugh.

Tsunande and Kakashi looked at him as if half his brain was hanging out of his head.

Damn, he couldn't look that bad, could he?

Tsunande got up and went to her desk. She pulled out a scroll and began writing frantically. Kakashi, meanwhile, pulled up another chair. He sat down slowly and scooted forward until he practically had Iruka pinned between their chairs.

Leaning forward, Kakashi gazed straight into Iruka's eyes. The intensity of his stare left no room for argument.

"Iruka. Are you alright?"

The chuunin smiled as brightly as he could. "Of course. Do I look that bad?"

"Yes." Kakashi answered without hesitation.

Iruka's face fell.

Well.

"Oh...ah...that's understandable. I've never dealt with so many sad children. It was heart breaking."

Kakashi continued to stare, clearly not buying Iruka's explanation. "I'm asking if you are alright. You experienced the infinite tsukuyomi too, didn't you?"

With all his might Iruka tried not to react. It was difficult, because Kakashi obviously thought he was not alright. He wouldn't be so adamant about asking if Iruka looked like a handful of fresh flowers instead of a pile of ash. With the same nervous laugh, Iruka tried to brush the whole thing off.

"I'm fine, Kakashi-san. I'll admit I'm a bit shaken, but I will deal with it, as everyone must."

Something in Kakashi's eyes told the chuunin he didn't buy it. Nervously Iruka waited. He kept trying to smile, but it was forced, and Kakashi was an exceptionally intelligent man. Iruka must have been more see-through than a glass window.

"You know..." Kakashi began, some of his mirth returning. "Lying to me is technically an offence. Seeing as I'm basically the Hokage."

Iruka glanced down quickly. He felt his throat constrict and was terrified he would cry in front of Kakashi. He could NOT have that; he would not look weak in front of one of the most famous ninja in their village. In the world, even.

"Kakashi...please." He whispered. "I don't want to talk about it."

That took the copy-nin aback. He sat straight, staring in obvious surprise. Iruka continued to stare at the ground.

Tsunande returned a moment later. "I'm going to put out a public announcement. I'll be back in ten minutes."

Kakashi nodded and Iruka looked up to acknowledge her with the best smile he could manage. He heard the door open and close, and then he and Kakashi were alone.

A thick silence descended upon them for just a moment. Kakashi leaned in again, his features soft and warm.

"Iruka. You spent the entire day trying to help others. Why not let someone help you?"

As humiliating as this was, Kakashi was being extremely stubborn. It was clear he had no plans in letting Iruka go until he cooperated. So, cooperate he would.

"I...well. My parents were alive in my dream. It felt so real." Iruka laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "When I was dreaming I just had no idea. Then all of a sudden, I was back. Everyone was disoriented and...it took me a while to realize what had happened. For days after I would come home expecting to see them, but within minutes, would remember it hadn't been real."

Iruka exhaled loudly and shrugged. "What can you do? I'm a ninja. I'll persevere. Eventually, the dream will be just another memory."

Kakashi was doing nothing to hide his emotions. He gazed at Iruka with compassion, and to the shinobi's surprise, understanding. "Ah. I had some ghosts come back to life during the war, too." The jounin added softly. When Iruka looked surprised, he continued. "I was very fortunate; I got to say goodbye to them. I feel as if that chapter of my life has finally closed. For you...it's been opened again. I'm sorry for that, Iruka. I know what it feels like."

The school teacher sat in silence, warmed by Kakashi's tenderness. He didn't know why he had expected anything less; Kakashi was not a bad person by any means. Perhaps he had just gotten too caught up in the jounin's fame, and had focused too much on how he would appear to him. He'd forgotten all about Kakashi's humanity.

"Thank you, Kakashi." Iruka whispered, his smile genuine for the first time during their meeting. "I'm very glad for you. Really."

Kakashi laughed lightly and stood. "Yes, well. Let's not get off track. I want to make sure you're alright."

Iruka stood as well. He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "Yes, I...I'll be fine. It gets easier everyday. Besides, you really do have other things to worry about."

Kakashi shot him a look. "It's rude to brush off the Hokage."

Iruka's eyes widened and a blush broke out all over his cheeks. "...I...I didn't mean..."

The laughter that filled the room eradicated any fluster the school teacher felt in an instant. He stared hard at Kakashi as the jounin teased him with an amused expression.

"May I be excused now?" Iruka asked with fake haughtiness.

Kakashi sighed loudly and opened the door for him. "I suppose so."

"Thank you for your time, Kakashi-san. And...your concern." Iruka added with a bit of extra tinge to his cheeks. He bowed to his future Hokage, then turned to leave before he embarrassed himself. Iruka yelped as his arm was grabbed and he was yanked back and spun around. The teachers heart leaped into his throat as he came face to face with Kakashi, their chests nearly colliding. He felt his blush return with a vengeance.

"Iruka. I want you to know that if you ever need help, you can come to me. First as a friend, and second as the Hokage. Alright?"

It took a moment for his heartbeat to slow enough for him to answer. The chuunin swallowed lightly and smiled. "Y-yes...yes, thank you. I will. If I need you."

Kakashi's smile took Iruka's breath away. "Good."

His arm was released and Kakashi stepped back. The poor chuunin ran a hand through his hair as he recovered from the shock of the unexpected contact. With one last smile he bowed to Kakashi and walked out the door as quickly as he could without being obvious. As soon as he heard the door close he stopped walking, exhaled loudly and rested against the wall.

That...had made him far too excited. He could actually feel the warmth in his heart and the heat in his groin. Terrified, Iruka tried to calm himself with deep breathing. This was not happening. It was just hero worship, that was all. He had been star struck by Kakashi ever since he'd come back from the war. Proud, too. That's what he was.

With one last deep breath Iruka pushed away from the wall and headed home with as much confidence as he could muster.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Words could not describe Iruka's relief when he finally stepped into his apartment. For the second night in a row Iruka's bag fell from his side and landed at the doorway. Toeing off his shoes, he walked into the kitchen and practically wrenched his cupboard open. He could punch a baby for a cup of tea right now.

The chuunin put the kettle on and fell onto his couch with a loud sigh. What a day. He was concerned for his children and concerned for himself. It was taking him longer to get over his dream than he thought, and he couldn't understand why. Part of him worried it was more due to the fact that he was happily married in his dream, but stubbornly single in real life. He only had one awkward teenage relationship under his belt and he was nearly 27. The child in his dream...he'd been perfect. And he'd been Iruka's, at least...in some fashion. The chuunin had a strong feeling his son had been adopted. That wasn't too surprising since Iruka had a soft spot for orphans, but if he'd married a woman, he couldn't imagine their first child not being one of theirs.

He nearly dropped his mug in realization.

When he'd turned around for a kiss, he'd had to lean up, not bend down. His lover in the dream had been taller than him.

Iruka poured his tea and tried to recall the rest of his dream.

They'd all sat down for dinner. His father had cracked jokes the entire time, as Iruka remembered he was fond to do. His mother lovingly placed plate after plate of food before them. He'd turned to his child and helped him cut up his meat. The loving, adorable look he got in response had made Iruka laugh out loud. He'd felt a warm, strong hand on his thigh. Without even turning around, Iruka had known it was his lover.

WHY hadn't he just turned around? How could Iruka have gone through that whole experience without seeing who he was married to?

"It doesn't matter, idiot..." he muttered to himself as he blew on his tea. Really, why was he bothering to analyze something that was fake?

Probably because it was a part of his subconscious and he knew it.

Because he was starting to think he was attracted to Kakashi.

Laughing, Iruka lay on his couch and flipped open his favourite book. Well, who wasn't attracted to Kakashi? It probably didn't mean anything. Remembering his parents brought a dull ache to his heart. He sipped his tea, but it seemed flavourless. Damn that Madara. Damn him. Iruka had gotten over their deaths, he'd moved on. And now...it was fresh. As Kakashi said, it was opened again. As if they'd just died yesterday.

Kakashi.

Iruka suddenly had the overpowering urge to go to him. To be comforted by him. To feel his strong presence, to hear his soothing voice, to be close to his warmth. Wow, he really was pathetic. He'd only seen the jounin twice in person since the war ended and now he already missed him. But, Kakashi had said it himself...a burden had been lifted from him, and Iruka could practically feel it. Kakashi was different and it was like cat nip to Iruka. It wasn't as if Iruka hadn't liked Kakashi before the war, of course he had.

But...

"Oh, stop it." He chided himself. This was totally ridiculous. He was a grown ass man and-

A loud knock sounded from his door.

Blinking in surprise, Iruka gently placed his mug on the coffee table and padded over to the door.

"Who is it?" he asked calmly.

A little sniffle greeted him.

Anxiety stewed in Iruka's gut as he threw the door open. Standing in his doorway in adorable pijama's was one of his students. The chuunin dropped to his knees before him, grasping the little ninja's hands.

"Riku! What's wrong?"

All he got in response was a sniffle.

Iruka pulled him in for a hug. He felt little Riku rest his face in the crook of his neck and his heart nearly exploded in his chest.

"It's alright." Iruka soothed as he patted his back. "Just tell me what happened."

After a few more sniffles Riku softly answered. "I don't like home."

"No?" Iruka chuckled, pulling back just enough to see the young boys face. "Why not?"

Riku pouted. He looked down. "Dad's mean. He wasn't mean in my dream."

Iruka pulled up the sleeve of his shirt and gently dabbed the tears from his students cheeks. "Riku. Are you afraid of your father?"

Very slowly, Riku nodded. Iruka frowned hard. "Did you run here because he was scaring you tonight?"

Another little nod.

The chuunin stood and took his young students hand. "Come inside, Riku. I'll get you some tea."

Riku did as he was told. Iruka pat a spot on his couch and the young boy dutifully hopped onto it. Before Iruka went for the tea, he quickly grabbed a quill and scroll. This situation was going to turn very ugly very fast if he didn't get someone official involved. Riku's parents were probably going apeshit looking for him, and if his father really was an asshole, he wouldn't be so pleased finding him at Iruka's.

He quickly formed a few handseals and a small pigeon appeared. He placed the scroll in its mouth and closed his eyes. He pictured Kakashi as clearly as he could. The jutsu seemed to understand instantly. It spread its wings and soared out of Iruka's window. Hopefully, Kakashi would get it in time.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Riku was fast asleep on Iruka's couch when he heard a gentle knock. Closing his eyes, he steeled himself for the worst, though he doubted Riku's 'mean dad' would knock so calmly. When he reached the door he called again to the other side.

"Who is it?"

"Prince charming." Came the amused answer. Iruka recognized the voice instantly and tried to ignore the fact that his heart was racing. He really needed to get a grip. Iruka opened the door and found Kakashi staring back at him with his arms crossed.

"So. The drama continues."

That brought a smile to Iruka's face, though he tried to calm it. "Come in, please." Iruka stepped aside and gestured for his soon-to-be-Hokage to enter. Kakashi did so, his eyes instantly settling on the small form nestled on Iruka's couch. He sighed as he slipped off his shoes.

"It's a pretty big mess. We got a frantic call from his mother earlier in the night. Not only is Riku missing, but his father, too. She said he was out looking for him...but the chuunin who received her message thought something was sketchy about how terrified she sounded."

Iruka closed the door with a frown. "He mentioned in class today how upset he was that his real father was so different from his dream father. That his real father 'wasn't nice'."

Kakashi slowly made his way to the young boy. He was still sleeping peacefully despite the noise they'd made.

"Geeze. Did you drug him?"

Iruka shot Kakashi a look. "He's probably just tired from stress."

"Mm." Kakashi answered absently as he knelt beside the couch. Very gently, the jounin pushed against the young boys shoulder. "Wake up, Riku."

With a little groan, Riku rolled over to face Kakashi. As soon as he realized who it was he jumped up with a start. "No way! Kakashi-sama!"

The copy-nin laughed and smiled. "In the flesh. We've got a bit of a situation here Riku, and I'm going to need your help so I can figure out what to do. You'll help me out, right?"

The young boy nodded enthusiastically.

"Great. Here's the deal. Your mom is looking for you, and she's very worried. But, you seem to have told Iruka-sensei that you don't want to go home because of your father. Is that true?"

Riku looked terrified. He grasped the pillow closest to him and hugged it to his chest. Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed.

"Don't be afraid, Riku. All we want is to help you. I'm going to be Hokage tomorrow, so you and everyone else in this village are my responsibility. What kind of Hokage would I be if I let you get hurt?"

Iruka watched Kakashi interact with Riku with what he could only describe as growing attraction. Naruto had always talked about how horrible Kakashi had been at "dealing with children" when they were younger, but that wasn't what Iruka saw now. Kakashi was tender and sweet and it was literally killing him from the groin up.

"I..." Riku squeaked into the pillow. Kakashi merely smiled and waited.

"Dad will be mad. Real mad."

"Well, we can deal with him later. That's no problem." Kakashi explained. "What I want to know is this: Do you feel your father is a threat to your safety?"

Riku, his body practically melded with the pillow, slowly nodded.

"Okay. Can you give me a yes or no, Riku?"

"...Yes."

Kakashi stood and gently ruffled Riku's hair. "Alright. What about your mother? Do you feel safe with her?"

"Not when she's with Dad." Riku pouted. "She's no help."

"Hmm."

Kakashi turned to Iruka, who had a split second to collect himself before Kakashi saw the stars in his eyes. "I think I want to leave him here for the night. Is that alright?"

"Absolutely." Iruka answered without hesitation. "He can take my bed if he wants."

"Excellent."

Kakashi turned back to Riku. "Do you want to stay with Iruka-Sensei tonight?"

Riku nodded so enthusiastically he had to catch the pillow after it popped out of his arms.

"Then, you shall. We're going to find your father and ask him some questions-"

"-NO!" Riku shouted, jumping onto the couch. "That's a terrible idea!"

"Riku, show Kakashi-sama respect and sit down." Iruka ordered gently.

Slowly and bashfully, Riku did as he was told.

"Don't worry about him. I told you I'd protect you, and I meant it." Kakashi responded with a smile. "This will be my first promise as Hokage."

Riku blushed furiously and stuffed his face into his pillow. It seemed he was as star-struck as Iruka. "Okay...Hokage-sama."

With one last tousle of his hair, Kakashi spun and walked to the door. Iruka followed him and turned the handle as Kakashi put his sandals back on. When the jounin stood, he stepped right up to Iruka so they could whisper without the child hearing.

"Something is off about this situation. Riku is terrified of his father, but shows no signs of physical abuse. I want to find this guy and question him before we jump to conclusions."

Iruka fought down the blush that curled around his face as Kakashi's breath ghosted over his ear and neck.

"Yes, I agree. Riku is a good student, so I don't think he'd lie, but...you never know."

"Keep him close to you in case there's any danger."

"Yes...Hokage-sama."

Kakashi leaned back, his eyes mischievous. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you enjoyed calling me that."

"It suits you." Iruka responded quickly.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, but from what Iruka could see with his mask, the grin was still in place.

"I suppose time will tell."

With that, Kakashi saluted Iruka and walked out the door. The chuunin gently closed it, and while his back was still to Riku, exhaled loudly against the cherry wood. He had a bad feeling he was in trouble. He'd wanted to see Kakashi so badly, and when he did, it was like he craved being closer to him. He'd never been so attracted to anyone in his life.

Deciding that was enough self-pity for the night, Iruka turned and smiled at Riku. "Alright. Time for bed!"

"Awww!"

"No complaints, it's definitely past your bedtime."

It took almost thirty minutes to wrangle the child, brush his teeth, wash his face and get him into bed. Riku protested taking Iruka's, but his sensei assured him he could sleep just fine on the floor. He pulled out some spare blankets and pillows and made himself a comfortable little nook.

"There. See? Nothing to it."

Riku crawled under the covers and pulled them up to his nose. "Sorry to be such a bother..."

Iruka smiled and gently touched the top of his head. "It's no bother. Just get to sleep, alright?"

The chuunin sat on his makeshift bed and cracked open a book. He didn't see the point in going to sleep since he was sure Kakashi would be back at some point in the night. Riku's father wasn't a shinobi to his knowledge, so it would be easy for the search party to find him.

At least, it should be.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Warmth. Electricity. Iruka's body hummed with it. At first, he wasn't sure where it was coming from. Only that it was good.

Slowly, Iruka began to recognize touches. He sighed loudly as he felt a confident, strong hand slide down his stomach. His hips bucked and his back arched when he felt callused fingers grasp his growing erection. A loud moan escaped his lips. He wanted to be embarrassed, but it felt incredible. Lips kissed a row of fire down his chest, sucked on one of his nipples. Vaguely he realized he must have been dreaming. But who of? He couldn't tell who was touching him, kissing him. The hand on his groin began gently pumping along his length and he moaned again, long and light. Someone chuckled and kissed his lips.

This seemed awfully real for a dream.

He gasped, arched, pulled against his restraints.

Restraints? That was weird.

Slowly, things started to come into focus. He could almost see his room through the fogginess of his sleep. Was he dreaming? He had to be.

A tongue dragged along his neck, sucked on the flesh just under his ear. He was panting, the pleasure was so great. His legs felt like they were going numb.

Speaking of numb, his wrists felt really weird. Like someone had tied something tight around them.

His eyes shot open, the room finally clear.

It WAS his bedroom.

So...it wasn't a dream.

WHAT.

Iruka jerked violently, trying to throw the body on top of him.

"Who is that!" He screamed, trying to free his arms. They were tied above his head to his nightstand. Whoever had done it had been smart enough to separate his hands and fingers so he couldn't perform jutsu. How the hell had this happened while he was alseep? When did he even fall asleep?

Laughter. The person on top of him pushed himself up enough to look down at Iruka with a wide grin. It was a young man, maybe around his age. Attractive, fit, with scarring on his shoulder and midsection. A ninja.

Frantically, Iruka craned his head up to look at his bed. Riku was gone.

"Who the hell are you and where is Riku?" Iruka snarled. He was completely disoriented. How the hell had this asshole tied him to his nightstand and molested him for so long without Iruka knowing!?

The man laughed again, wiggling his hips as he sat on Iruka's waist. "You're adorable."

"Answer my question."

His grin widened, if that was possible. "I am Riku."

Iruka stared at him, hard.

The man stared back.

"How?"

"I'm really good at disguise jutsu." He explained with a shrug. "It's kind of a blood-line thing. I know, it's unfair. That's why your Hokage didn't detect it. Not that he has his Sharingan anymore, of course. That would have helped."

It was totally ridiculous that Iruka was furious about the way "Riku" talked about Kakashi, especially since he had worse things to worry about. But, you know. Attraction.

"Were...you Riku at school today?"

"Yup. He was home sick."

"But...the call..."

"That was me. I sent your precious ninja pal's on a wild goose chase. Aren't I smart?"

Iruka's stomach fell.

Fuck.

"There is no way you're going to fool them for long."

"I know. So, let's get back to it, shall we?" He purred. Without wasting anymore time, he gripped Iruka's length and slid his hand around it. Iruka pulled hard against his restrains, twisting his torso to try and move away from his captor's grip.

"STOP."

The man merely laughed. "You were having such a good time before..." Riku whispered as he fondled Iruka. "Just relax. You should have heard yourself...oh. It was wonderful. Exactly what I imagined."

"You...you went through ALL this trouble just to...to..."

"Fuck you? Uh. Yah? I feel like people put in way more effort to do just that all the time."

"This is rape."

"Tsk, tsk." Riku chided, leaning down and biting Iruka's bare shoulder. "It's only rape if it's non-consensual."

"I AM NOT CONSENTING." He cried as he yanked violently on the ropes binding his arms. He felt blood start to bead around his wrists. Whatever 'Riku' had tied him with, it was definitely chakra reinforced. His nightstand should have gone flying across the room by now.

Iruka calmed himself and focused chakra into his legs. He'd kick this asshole into the next century.

When Riku settled himself onto his hips, Iruka whipped them to the side and smashed his knee into his captors side. To his utter horror, Riku blocked his attack and forced his leg down with such strength he nearly ripped his entire inner thigh muscle fighting against him.

Holy shit. He might actually be really strong.

"Iruka." Came his voice in a warning tone. "I don't want to hurt you. But, as you mentioned, I have limited time. So. It's up to you."

"Why do you want me?" Iruka panted, looking as confused and flustered as he could. They'd already wasted at least two minutes talking, maybe he could buy himself more time.

Slowly, Riku leaned down and dragged the tip of his tongue along Iruka's lips. "Because you're so sweet." He purred, grinding his hips against Iruka's. "I have a thing for nice guys. So sue me."

"Where are you from? I don't understand how you made it into the villa-"

His lips were captured and his words swallowed. He supposed this was better than actual sex, so he decided to go with it. Slowly, hesitatingly, he opened his mouth to Riku. A tongue dipped in, expertly sliding against his own. Their kiss was surprisingly tender, if you wanted to call it that. Iruka supposed he'd actually be a good kisser if the person he kissed was in any way willing.

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think logically. Kakashi and the others were smart; especially Kakashi. Iruka hadn't expected them to take longer than an hour to find Riku's "father", so he didn't think it would take longer than that for them to realize it was fake. All they had to do was send someone to Riku's house, presumably to talk to his mom, and the whole charade was ruined. He just had to hang on until then.

But...he had no idea how long he'd "slept" before the Riku imposter had started molesting him. There was no way he could hold out for an hour without getting seriously compromised.

"AH!" Iruka gasped. He clenched his teeth. Riku was fondling him again, stroking him. He hated it, but his body disagreed.

"Oh yah...come on, Iruka. Louder. Like before."

This...was...just the most humiliating thing...

"How did you find me?" He panted, desperately trying to distract 'Riku'.

"Hmm? Your house? That was easy, it's not a very big village."

Clearly he and Kakashi had to have a talk about post-war village security if he made it out of this situation alive and with even a shred of dignity.

"No...at the school...I don't understand... "

"Ohhhh..."

Riku spread Iruka's legs and hoisted up his hips. The chuunin teacher started to panic. Obviously Riku wanted to get down to business.

"That will be my little secret. But, you should be flattered. I noticed you right away. You just have this adorable vibe. Anyway."

Riku pulled down his pants, his erection coming into view. Iruka tried not to panic, but things did not look good for him.

"Wait! Aren't you...going to use something?"

"Hmm? Oh. Haha, no. Sorry. I totally didn't think of that. I've never actually had sex with a guy before."

Iruka blanched. "...What?"

"I know, right? That's just how cute you are."

Gee MgGee.

"In my kitchen. Please." Iruka begged, trying to look appealing. "There's oil in the drawer near the fridge. Please..."

Riku sighed and smiled. "Well. Alright. I did mean it when I said I didn't want to hurt you, and I guess that would hurt."

He lowered Iruka's hips, put himself back into his pants and stood. "Be back in a sec!"

Iruka waited until he was gone before quickly concentrating as well as his frayed nerves allowed him. He focused chakra into his legs again, and wicked fast, flipped them up over his head and smashed his feet into his night stand. It didn't even budge. Iruka bit his lip as pain rippled down his ankles. Slowly, he lowered his hips and his legs flopped down again. Wow. He was completely helpless. Hands immobilized, arms where he couldn't attack, and a strong enough enemy to physically keep him down.

Speaking of down, Iruka glanced down at himself and cursed. The bastard had sliced off his shirt, but thankfully left his pants. They were pushed low on his hips, but he wiggled around and managed to cover himself. He didn't know why be bothered, but...

A moment later Iruka heard footsteps approaching his room. Panic started to tear its way up his throat. He couldn't believe this was happening to him. He closed his eyes and prayed, begged for Kakashi. Begged to be found.

A loud crash made his heart stop. He listened. Another crash, a hiss. The sound of metal on metal.

Someone was here. Someone had come.

Iruka could have cried. He almost did, really.

A couple of minutes of silence passed. He couldn't believe the mental torture.

He heard footsteps again, approaching the room. He begged. He prayed.

Please, please, please, please...

A figure stood in the dark, looking down on him. Iruka scooted back, terrified of who he'd see.

"Iruka..."

His heart stopped.

Kakashi stepped into the light, his arm dripping blood. Iruka nearly cried out.

"Kakashi. Thank God..." He gasped, convinced he'd moaned it if he hadn't had more control.

The sounds of other shinobi filled his ears. They were in his living room.

"Holy shit, Kakashi was right..."

"Looks like he's still alive. Tie him up and get his ass out of here."

"How the hell did he get into the village..."

"Where's Iruka?"

Panic seized him again. He looked into Kakashi's eyes, begged.

"Dont let them see me like this..."

Kakashi's face hardened and he instantly turned and called into the hallway. "He's fine, I've got it." Before shutting the door with a loud 'click'. Iruka sighed.

"Thank you..."

Kakashi, his face a mask, knelt beside Iruka. He eyed the cord that tied him to his nightstand. He eyed his entire body. Iruka felt himself flush under Kakashi's gaze, his skin prickling.

"Are you hurt?" he asked softly.

"No. You were right on time." Iruka laughed, though his voice was strained. "But, my wrists..."

"No problem." Kakashi murmured. He pulled out a kunai, held it tightly in his hand. Chakra burst forth and slid up the metal tip, illuminating it. Kakashi held the cord tightly with one hand, and in a wicked fast slice, cut the cord with the other.

Iruka slumped instantly, hissing. He had been too panicked to realize how much his wrists hurt.

"Thank you."

Kakashi laid down the kunai. He placed an arm under Iruka's back and helped to gently lift him into a sitting position.

"He didn't...touch you?" Kakashi asked, his eyes locking with Iruka's. He was worried. He had been panicking, too. He was angry. Furious.

"Uhhh..." Iruka turned a violent shade of red. "He...He did. I don't know for how long. I just...sat down on my bed with a book, and the next thing I remember...I was sleeping and...I thought it was a dream..."

Iruka realized that he was totally mortified. What a ridiculous, compromising position to be found in. At least he'd had a moment to kind of pull up his pants; he didn't want to think about THAT awkward situation.

Iruka was suddenly aware of how close Kakashi was. The jounin seemed to be peering into Iruka's eyes, assessing him. His arm remained around the chuunin's bare back, tight and strong and supportive. Iruka realized he was practically being cradled by the older ninja.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked, his voice soft and inviting.

Iruka swallowed. He nodded. "Yes. Just...a bit shaken. But I'm fine."

Kakashi didn't let up. "It's past midnight. Which means I'm Hokage. You wouldn't lie to the Hokage, would you?"

Iruka couldn't help but smile. "No, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi smiled back. "Good. Anything I can do for you?"

Iruka wordlessly held up his wrists and Kakashi got to work bandaging them. The chuunin felt gross all over, his nerves were frayed, and he definitely was going to be terrified of having children in his bedroom for the next little while. But...he was ok. And right now, he was kind of in heaven. Kakashi was gently, tenderly bandaging his raw wrists and in so doing, had Iruka leaning against his side for support. After tonight, Iruka could no longer deny he was crushing hard on Kakashi. He wondered if that was why he hadn't been able to see what his partner had looked like in his dream. Because, at the time, he hadn't really understood what he wanted.

He sure did now.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The next morning Iruka nearly jumped awake, his eyes wide. Naturally, he'd had a nightmare of random hands wandering all over his body. In his dream, he'd tried with all of his power to fight them off, but hadn't been able to move a muscle. He assumed he'd be having those dreams for a while, but as long as he woke up without a crazy person grinding against him, he could deal with it.

Iruka threw off his sheets and rubbed his temples. It was 11:00 pm, but classes had been cancelled and Tsunande had basically ordered him to be confined to his house anyway. Riku was now with Ibiki in the interrogation unit, so he was definitely getting his come-uppance. No one undestood how he had managed to sneak into the village, figure out which child was absent, pose as that child and then fool every single person he came into contact with into believing he was that kid. Kakashi had seemed particularly upset, especially since he'd come in direct contact with "Riku."

"He said it was a blood-line limit, Kakashi-sama. They are a different kind of animal all together. Don't be upset." Iruka had explained.

Kakashi had merely flicked his eyes to the side. "We'll see what interrogation comes up with."

Tsunande had practically been beside herself with fury. She paced back and forth, muttering to herself.

"Comes into my village -sorry, our village- poses amongst our children and then tries to have his way with one of our ninja. He's damn lucky he's with Ibiki."

Iruka looked down at his feet. "That's...the most worrying part. He was with the children. What if what happened to me had happened to one of them instead?"

A very thick silence settled amongst them. Clearly, the thought had passed through all of their minds. Iruka considered it a lucky break that it was him instead. He would have gladly taken that from one of his pre-genin. As humiliating as it was, Iruka would get over it. But a child? It could ruin his or her life.

"Iruka. Have you been to the hospital wing?" Tsunande had suddenly asked.

"Oh..." The sensei blushed. "No, there's really no need."

Tsunande gave him a hard look that suggested there was very much a need.

"You said that one minute you were wide awake, and the next, it was La La Land. He clearly did something to you, Iruka. Go to the hospital."

Well. One did not simply argue against Tsunande, regardless of whether or not she was still the Hokage. Iruka had said his goodbyes and had gone to the hospital wing as he was ordered. Luckily, he had checked out clean. The nurse assumed it was a jutsu that he used and not any kind of potion or powder. She gave Iruka a couple of anti-anxiety and sleeping pills just in case and ordered him to get plenty of sleep.

Iruka was just considering getting some more sleep when he heard a knock at his door. Smiling, he stepped off of his bed and padded across the living room. It had to be Naruto; he was the only one who would respond this fast.

He opened the door, expecting to see his blond student. His jaw fell open when he saw a certain silver-haired Hokage smiling back at him instead.

"Good afternoon."

"Ah...Kakashi-sama..."

"You look well rested. I suppose that's why you missed the celebration?"

Celebration...

Iruka's eyes flew open. Oh, no! He'd missed Kakashi being officially inaugurated as Hokage. He felt a terrible twisting in his stomach. He had actually really, really wanted to be there.

"I...I'm sorry..."

Kakashi laughed. It was a light, joyful one. "It's alright. I'm glad you got a lot of sleep; you needed it. How are you feeling?"

On the opposite side of the door, Iruka fiddled with the door handle as an outlet for his nervousness. Kakashi made him feel like a 12 year old boy. "Fine, I think. I had a really weird dream, but that's to be expected. The nurse gave me something to help me sleep, but I was exhausted so I passed right out."

"Hmm. So you don't even have drugs as an excuse for sleeping until mid-afternoon." The Hokage sighed, resting his arm on the door frame above Iruka. "I suppose my face is going to be on the mountain forever. You can pass by it every day and pay your respects then."

Iruka scoffed and crossed his arms, about to say something witty and intelligent (certainly) in response, but Kakashi cut him off by pushing away from the door with a wink.

"Anyway. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Last night was..." He trailed off, his eyes hardening. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Iruka."

It was like a little mini Iruka was skipping around his chest cavity and round-house kicking his heart, then bear-hugging it until he could barely breathe. He prayed none of how he was feeling showed on his face. "Thank you for your concern, Kakashi-sama. And thank you for helping me."

Kakashi's smile nearly sent Iruka's stomach up into his skull.

"I will do whatever I can to protect all of my precious subjects."

The only response Iruka could manage was a nervous laugh and a dopey grin. Kakashi gently bowed his head, to which Iruka responded with a much lower bow, and then he was gone. Just as suddenly has he came.

Slowly, Iruka closed the door. He paused briefly, leaning his forehead against the door frame. After a moment he turned back to his apartment. As he walked, he took notice of the lamp next to his small couch. He glared at it.

Why don't you just fall in love with the lamp, Iruka? You have just as much chance with that lamp as you do with Kakashi. Go ahead, Iruka. Love lamp.

He continued forward. His foot brushed against the rug on his floor.

Look, a rug. Love it, Iruka. Love the rug.

He sighed loudly and forced himself to stop being pathetic.

So you're hopeless. So what? You have your students...hopefully...and you have Naruto. You're a valued member of society. And, what's more, you're still alive. You should be grateful to still exist on this earth. Some were not that fortunate.

Iruka nearly leaped out of his skin when another knock sounded through his door. He rushed back, opened it, and to his surprise Kakashi was there.

"Just thought I would warn you that Naruto found out exactly what happened. So. You have around five minutes of breathing normally before he kicks down your door and asphyxiates you with his ridiculous rib hugs."

Iruka turned completely white.

"He...he knows everything?"

Kakashi looked sorry as he responded. "Mostly. It's a long story. I know this wasn't what you wanted, but at least you'll have someone around to fend off those nightmares. He's probably not going to leave your side for a couple of days."

Iruka felt another blush forming and valiantly fended it off. "Well, thank you for the warning. Maybe I'll put my vest on as a buffer."

Kakashi smiled and saluted him. "Good luck." before turning to leave. Something panicked in Iruka, something made him want to rush out and stop Kakashi. Stop him and make him stay. Stop him so they could talk more.

He was being ridiculous. Kakashi was Hokage, he had things to do.

Get him, Iruka. Don't let him leave.

But...what could I possibly say?

Go before you never see him again.

Oh...come on. I'll see him again.

Will you? What excuse could you possibly have?

"...Kakashi!"

Iruka froze, horrified, as the name escaped his mouth before he'd even thought of saying it.

OhMyGodOhMyGodWhatAmIDoingHowAmIAnAdult...

The Hokage stopped and turned, his expression questioning but pleasant. Iruka realized that he had exactly one second to say something or he was going to make a total and utter ass of himself.

"Ahhh...please...let me know what information you get from my assailant. I'm worried that maybe he interacted with some of the children in a detrimental way."

A pleasant smile followed his question, which nearly made his knees buckle in relief. Either Kakashi was really good at covering his distaste or he hadn't noticed that Iruka had totally pulled that question out of his ass. Although...now that he mentioned it, it did kind of worry him.

"Of course, Iruka. I promise I will keep you updated. Oh. I also plan on letting you know when classes are to start again. We want to make sure the village is secure before we do that, though."

"That's great. Thank you, Kakashi. Ah! Kakashi-sama. S-sorry. That was...rude. I mean. Hokage-sama. Ah..."

Iruka turned blood red as he stood, floundering, before Kakashi. The jounin watched him, his eyes saying something Iruka could not decipher. It was literally a toss up of "you're dumb but cute" and "you're dumb". Which ever one it was, the chuunin did not have time to figure out. Kakashi smiled, nodded his farewell, and continued on his way.

Iruka slowly shuffled back to his apartment, shut the door, and proceeded to bash his head against the wall until he felt like a 27 year old again and not a toddler.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

HOPE YA'LL LIKED THE FIRST CHAPTER! This fic will be a little different than how I normally do, obviously. I usually write smaller chapters, and actually I intended to make this just one long fic...but then I didn't. ALSO, I realize this is my first KakaIru in a long ass time, but there was something about the manga ending that made me want to explore it again. R&R!