This story was originally conceived by mix of starlightscribe ( ) and me, thus she gets the title co-conspirer and often gets first crack at spoilers…

kaKAkaKAka

Kakashi was finishing up his morning three-hour prayer at the Tribute Stone, clasping his hands together in closing. Turning towards Konohagakure the shadows of the taller buildings let him know it was nearly eleven o'clock, as opposed to his usual near Noon. Smirking, he realized it was a good thing he hadn't planed anything today, he might almost be on time. Remembering Naruto's dramatic return yesterday, Kakashi figured Naruto might enjoy an offer to train. Now he just had to find the boy…

Kakashi chuckled privately when he finnaly spotted Naruto at the Ramen shop, of all the non-surprises, and with Iruka no less. What a plain day today was looking to be- Suddenly Kakashi noticed another face sitting on Naruto's other side, Anko, and they all three seemed to be talking privately, or rather conspiratorially. Curiousity overtook Kakashi's inner Kitty…

"-don't under understand how Jiraya could find out," Anko puzzled aloud.

"Boss Toad figured it out from the contract, and he told Jiraya," Naruto clarified with exaggerated arm motions.

"Oh yeah, from your blood then," Iruka mused.

"Yup."

"So what was it like, training with Jiraya for so long now that he knows?"

"-"

Naruto was cut off from answering Iruka's question as the three of them all seemed simultaneously aware of Kakashi's presence, turning to him first Naruto smiled, "Kakashi Sensei! What brings you about so early today?"

Kakashi hopped down from the rooftop and walked over to the trio, his eye intent upon all three of them with a powerful scrutiny. "I find it suspicious… That anybody so close to me for so long, could hide something significant from me. I take it from your collective silence that whatever your secret is, I'll have to discover it for myself…"

Anko smiled eerily, her lips curving into a wicked smirk with power to match Kakashi's current intensity. "All ninja have secrets Kakashi," she fondled a Kunai between her fingers as she spoke again, "your Sharingan gives you an edge, more or less, but even you are incapable of knowing everything." She slipped past him, intentionally brushing her shoulder against his, "Just drop it Kakashi, this secret is above you."

Naruto finished his noodles in a flash, "Well Iruka-Sensei, it was great to be able to fully cut loose with Ero-senin like the old days," he smirked at Kakashi as he got up, leaving Iruka with the bill. He passed Kakashi as well on his way, "Kakashi-sensei, you can be really scary when you try, but it's more than difficult to scare what truly goes bump in the night."

Kakashi took Naruto's seat beside Iruka as Iruka finished up his Ramen a little less dramatically than Naruto. Iruka paid for his and Naruto's ramen, but as he turned to Kakashi to say his farewell he had to take a second look at the absurd-looking detective style hat Kakashi had slipped on. Instead of saying farewell as he intended Iruka simply smiled coolly and just walked away.

While Kakashi ate, Gai happened to pass by- "Oh- My rival Kakashi! And with a cool hat that makes him youthful!"

Kakashi turned as if to just notice him like usual- but rather than comment he simply handed the detective hat to Gai and started to walk past as the gear in his head grinded to complete a thought-

"AH-HA!- " and suddenly he took off, leaving Gai behind and missing his reply.

Kakashi ran the plan through his head again to check for any flaws, talking to Jiraya was the obvious approach, since they had said that he found out what there secret was. But the trouble there was that Jiraya was a Senin, not to be underestimated, and the sensei of his sensei on top of that, but even Jiraya had a couple weaknesses to exploit…