Iruka normally really hated missions that took him away from his work at the school, but for once, he was very excited. A small village at the edge of Fire Country had been all but destroyed by a group of ninja from the village hidden in Sand and he and one jounin were going to find any survivors. They knew the small orphanage had been spared, so who better to bring than a ninja who dealt with children all the time? He would be very useful on the way back to Konoha.

"Kakashi-sensei, how far until the orphanage?" Iruka turned to the tall silver-haired jounin who was leading their mission and smiled. "I would love to get those children to safety as soon as possible..."

"It's about a half a mile west of here, Iruka." Iruka tensed slightly. He and Kakashi barely knew each other and the man was talking to him without any honorifics... And that horrible smut he was reading... Dear Kami... Why him? Why did I have to get stuck with him...?

"Well, Kakashi-sensei, do I have permission to visit the orphanage while you search the village?" He glared at the older copy-nin, hating that he had to listen to his every order.

Kakashi chuckled at Iruka's glare. He really does look quite delicious when he's angry. When Iruka only glared more, he nodded slightly. "We'll meet here tomorrow at nightfall. If I'm not here, get any children you find to safety. I'll find you if you don't show. Run to the village or stay at the orphanage if you find any trouble. You're too valuable to our village to lose." He smirked as Iruka became a shade redder at his remark, knowing he had to get away now before the chuunin's famous fury was unleashed upon him. "Bye, Ruka!" He quickly ducked a rock that flew at his head and teleported away.

~O-Kakashi-O~

Kami, that was close... Why did Tsunade have to pair me with Iruka of all people...? Kakashi sighed heavily and began his walk towards the village. Oh yeah... Because she loves torturing me... She knows I... I love him... He flushed as he thought the words, though he knew they were true.

~~!Flashback!~~

Ever since Iruka had had his little outburst before the chuunin exams, Kakashi had been interested. At first it had been pure curiosity, how could a simple chuunin be brave enough to speak out of turn in such an important meeting, let alone speak against his superiors. After close observation for about six months, though, Kakashi knew he was doomed. Every day he looked forward to watching the chuunin in all of his activities, from teaching to cooking to doing his laundry. Sure, he felt a little bad for perching in the branches of Iruka's trees to spy on him, but he felt a connection to the other man. A connection which had turned to infatuation and then to... love.

Kakashi knew it was love when one day Iruka didn't go to the academy and wasn't at home all day. The copy-nin had waited all night and was very worried... Worried enough to burst into Tsunade's house and demand where his Iruka was. After the initial explosion for being woken up at three in the morning, Kakashi had learned that the chuunin was out on a mission and was gone until next week. Breathing a sigh of relief, the jounin turned to leave, only to be stopped by a smiling Tsunade. Only... This smile made him, a battle hardened ninja, shudder in terror.

"Why do you have such a sudden interest in Iruka-sensei all of a sudden, brat?" she had said in a sickly sweet voice.

"Nothing, Tsunade-sama." He had tried his hardest to not show any emotion, but some must have gotten through to the sannin.

"Then I guess I'll just have to send him out on a long mission... Too bad." She had smiled that evil smile again before turning to her desk to jot down a note.

"N-no! Don't. Please!" Kakashi had really hated himself at that moment... He had shown weakness. And he had shown it to one of the many people in the village who would use it against him.

"Why not, Hatake? It's not like you care about a weak little chuunin right?"

"He isn't weak! He had the guts to stand up to the previous hokage and a group of jounin because of what he believed in, even though he knew he would lose. He took that chance! That's strength." He glared at the hokage, knowing that he couldn't do anything but glare.

"It seems that our dear copy-nin is in love." The smile was aimed at him again, but he stood strong, refusing to show he was weak by shuddering again. "How... sweet." Her smile changed, softened, and she put her pen and paper down. "Everyone deserves happiness, Hatake... Even you."

He stood there, thinking for a second. "Perhaps, Tsunade, but... He deserves happiness and he probably wouldn't be happy with me. I don't want to be the cause of unhappiness in any of my friends. So... Please just tell me when you send him out on any extended missions so I can send Pakkun to keep him safe..." He had turned and walked out, ignoring anything else the hokage tried saying to him. The next day he was sent out on a month long mission to assassinate a missing-nin. He hadn't gotten to see his chuunin come back...

~O-Iruka-O~

Kami! Why is he so... Irritating! Iruka stomped in the direction Kakashi had pointed, fuming. Does Tsunade-sama really hate me this much? She knows we hate each other... Kami, why!?

Iruka had only spoken to Kakashi a handful of times since the Chuunin Exams, and each time had been very tense and, for Kakashi at least, informal. He knew the copy-nin was just playing with him, and that hurt. Before his outburst, the two ninja had had a pretty okay relationship. It was friendly and easy. They'd talk when Kakashi came to get his secret missions, and sometimes when he was visiting Naruto or Sasuke. He wanted that back...

Iruka didn't realize he had reached a large building until he almost ran into it. Is this is? It looks so... Old. It's as if no one has been here for years... The building was almost covered in vines and most of the windows had been broken. From the inside out... Like someone really wanted to get out... Iruka shuddered and walked around to see if he could find an entrance.

Maybe the Sand-nin did attack here as well... When Iruka finally found a large front door, he smiled. I'm here kids. You don't have to wait any longer! He walked toward the entrance and froze, dread and terror filling his body. What... Something is wrong... Turning around, he saw nothing in the woods behind him, but he still felt the dread. On a whim, he cleaned off the metal plaque on the doors and froze again.

Mental Asylum- Children's Ward:

Dangerous Cases

Keep Out!

What the hell!? Wasn't this was supposed to be an orphanage! Iruka backed away from the building, fighting the urge to turn and run. He was absolutely terrified about what was still in there and now out in the woods. Maybe it wasn't Sand-nin who did this... Maybe... Walking over to the piles of glass in the grass from the windows, he gasped. A child was there, not much older than his students, and she was picking through the shards of glass, obviously searching for something, but cutting her arms up in the process of looking.

"Hey, sweetie? What happe- Oh sweet Kami..." The girl had turned towards him in the middle of his question, and growled a feral growl. That wasn't what had terrified Iruka, though. Her eyes were blood red and her teeth were all little sharp points that looked capable of tearing flesh from bone. The chuunin quickly pulled out a kunai knife, holding it in front of him in a defensive posture. He very slowly backed away from the feral girl wondering what other surprises he would find in the woods.

When the girl was out of sight, he turned to walk forward, keeping his guard up in case she came to find him. Maybe there are children still alive in there... I... I have to check it out! Sorry Kakashi... I have to break orders... He slowly walked into the ominous building, hoping there was a couple he could possibly save.

~O-Pakkun-O~

The little pug watching from the forest gave a soft whimper. That building was giving off a horrible scent of death and torture... I have to go tell Kakashi what that stupid chuunin is doing!

He turned and yelped. That little feral child was right behind him, her mouth watering. I don't like where this is going... She lunged at him and he shot out of the way, trying to lead her to a more open area where he could defend himself. He ran full out, remembering a clearing close by, but a weight slamming into his back sent him sprawling to the ground with another yelp.

Quickly getting to his feet, Pakkun began growling at the girl, his hackles raised. "Listen girly, you don't want to do this. I will fight back and I will win. So go back to searching through your glass for whatever the hell it was that you wanted and leave me alone." He snapped at the air, trying to show his dominance, but the girl was too hungry to care. She lunged at him, aiming for the throat, but yet again the pug dodged.

"Food... Food... Food!..." It wasn't more than an animalistic growl as it came out of the girl, but Pakkun got the message. It was either going to be her dying or he was going to be dinner.

Kami help me... He barked at the girl, slowly pacing back and forth in front of her, waiting for an opening to attack. After a couple minutes, the girl's impatience and need for food clouded her judgment. She attacked again and Pakkun moved out of the way again, using that as an opening to rake his claws along her belly. The girl screamed and bit down hard on the closest part of the pug she could reach: one of his sensitive ears. She jerked her head and Pakkun felt a white hot pain, causing another yelp to slide past his throat.

Pakkun growled and used the girl's injury to his advantage, trying to ignore his own. She was becoming sluggish, and the next time she attacked, he lunged at her neck, clamping down hard on her neck. She screamed again, clawing frantically at the little dog that only bit down harder and harder until he felt skin and veins popping and ripping. Only when he heard the snap of bone and she collapsed did Pakkun allow his vise-like grip slacken.

Taking inventory of his injuries, the pug was glad that all he suffered from were shallow scratches and his torn up ear. That could have been so much worse... I have to go tell that stupid jounin that the stupid sensei just most likely walked into his death! He ran off into the forest, keeping his guard up for anymore surprise attacks from anything worse than a feral little girl.

~O-O~

He broke out of the forest, an hour or so later, running toward the village at top speed. "Kakashi! Kakashi!" He sped towards the jounin's familiar scent and almost ran into him. Kakashi took in the pug's injuries and his face hardened.

"Iruka?..."

"Missed the orphanage. Walked into mental ward. Dangerous." The dog flopped onto his side, his sides heaving as he tried to catch his breath from the full out run. "Stupid chuunin..."

Kakashi growled softly and it took a second for Pakkun to realize it wasn't aimed at him, but at the situation. "What happened to you? Were there more of them? What happened?!" Kneeling down, he took the pug's ear into his hand, trying his best to stop the steady flow of blood.

Making a noise of appreciation, Pakkun moved his ear tentatively, wagging his tail when there was much less pain. "Not as good as a medic-nin, boss, but still pre-"

"Pakkun!" The visible grey eye was far angrier than Pakkun had ever wanted to see the infamous Hound...

"It was a little girl. She looked starved and was feral. I think... I think she came from the asylum. There was the scent of sand-nin everywhere, so I think they let all the inmates out or something. Boss, your boy toy walked right in. The girl didn't give him a second look... Something was fishy about it all... I don't like it..." The dog unconsciously whimpered softly, not liking where this situation was going.

"Pakkun. Lead me there. NOW." Kakashi was already striding towards the woods, knowing full well he could trace Iruka without Pakkun, but not wanting to waste the time. The pug only barked and stood, running off ahead of the jounin toward the asylum. Please be okay, Ruka... Please... Kami, please...