It was warm. It was vaguely lethargic. It was shopping alone in what for once seemed like agreeable weather. Hands full with a month's worth of groceries it took too much time and skill for his exhausted brain to weave through the streets avoiding the masses. But there was simply no other way. It had to be done.

He could have always taken the rooftops but it was strictly the jounins favourite haunt. And those people were all slightly insane if anyone wanted to ask him. Besides he would look ridiculous hopping from roof to roof blinded by big brown paper bags. Iruka rolled his neck closing his eyes from the blaring white sun. His miraculous, Once-in-a-blue-moon-with-pink-polka-dots, afternoon off just had to be spent shopping for cucumbers. Whoever was sitting in the sky looking after them must be laughing his/her head off.

But it had to be done. If he ate with Naruto one more time at Ichiraku he wouldn't be able to face a decent ramen ever again. After several years, the stuff can become sickening… Regardless of the fact he would be eaten out of house and home. He sighed and trudged on.

Well...

That was what he would have done if he wasn't suddenly bowled over. One second he was contemplating his dreary lifestyle and the next he couldn't get his breath back. Slowly recovering from the painful thump his head had taken from the tackle he realized something rather... Embarrassing. Someone was leaning over him. Iruka could feel shin guards pressing coolly at the sides of his thighs and he had heard something distinctly like two hands thumping into place on either side of his head.

Iruka peered warily at whoever it was above him. A Cat tilted its head to look at him. Whoever the ANBU was it didn't move, perhaps whoever it was, wanted to make sure Iruka was OK.

"I'm OK."

It came out like a squeak. The Cat mask tilted again as though in amusement, with the sun directly above it, it made the ANBU look almost otherworldly. Iruka suddenly realized how close they were, how the others deep breathing was steady and relaxed. And also how the musky warm scent seemed to roll off of him in waves. He clutched the grocery bags to himself instinctively, feeling vulnerable.

It was HIS mellow voice that shocked him however. "That's good to hear." With that the ANBU slipped his mask half way up, revealing a predatory smile. Iruka had no chance to process anything through his already sluggish mind when gloved hands lifted him half off the ground and hot lips sealed his own. He might have been able to regain enough of his mind to protest if a wet tongue that was obviously not his own thrust passed his lips. The ANBU swallowed Iuka's gasp in stride and pressed even closer. Having his mouth ravaged almost savagely wiped all thoughts from Iruka's mind. Blood rushed to his face as he frantically tried to comprehend what was happening to him. Bags fell each and every which way when Iruka tried to push the ANBU away. He might have tried pushing at the Hokage Mountain, it would have been more co-operative.

However the movement brought his bare hands in contact with the rough material of the ANBU vest. The steady heart beat vibrated against his palms and Iruka immediately clenched his hands into fists protecting the sensitive heart of his hands. He didn't need any more distractions. The ANBU let go watching in quiet amusement as Iruka panted desperately, holding onto the strong hands weakly. Flipping the mask back into place the Cat mask pushed close brushing the soft skin of Iruka's nose. "Yo, Iruka sensei."

Then he was gone. Iruka sat up at the milling crowds. Despite the intensity of the moment, it had barely lasted a minute. The masses around him wasn't aware that anything had happened. Either that or stuff like that happened all the time. Iruka shuddered, he hoped it was the former or else he was never venturing out of his house or the Academy ever again. Being practical he had already picked up all his spilled goods before he realized his lips were throbbing and he could still taste HIS lips...

Without hesitation he scuttled quickly home.

"Yo."

"Why are you late this time Kakashi?"

The ANBU captain glanced at the crystal ball on the desk. "Well I was on my way here when a young sensei who seemed helpless, stopped me in my tracks and ravished me so I-"

Sandaime sighed heavily, cutting Kakashi short. He smiled ruefully at the young man, "Did you at least help him with his groceries?"

"Well I could have but then I would have been late."

Sandaime blinked. And this was the man he wanted to assign a team...