Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I will help Kakashi should the time ever come, though.
AN: My thanks to my editor, Meuin, for her hard work and wonderful support. She may be evil, but I love her for it.
Re-edited 2010
MY GIFT TO YOU
The streetlight casts a dull illumination over the hunched figure sitting on the bench, blonde locks tinted a dirty orange by its glow. Dark eyebrows lower in worry as brown eyes take in the teenager's defeated posture. It's the exact same pose Naruto adopted when the Toad Sage passed away the year before. The only thing missing is the dripping ice-lolly.
"Naruto?"
Iruka frowns as Naruto gasps aloud at being pulled from his reverie. The young man is too well trained as a shinobi to startle visibly when surprised, but the gasp shows Iruka just how deep in thoughts Naruto had been. Blue eyes snap up to meet his and Iruka's worry increases at the emotions they so blatantly display. Apprehension is by far the forerunner.
"I-Iruka-sensei!" Naruto scrabbles to his feet, looking reminant of the awkward child he had once been. "What's going on?"
The fake grin that plasters itself on Naruto's face does nothing to fool Iruka as he shortens the distance between them.
"That's my line," Iruka says gently. "It's late. Why are you out here all on your own?"
"Ah, well, you know…" Blue eyes avert from his as a hand scratchs nervously at blonde hair. "I'm… ah, just thinking about training! Yeah! And how I totally have to show Sai-"
A firm hand to Naruto's shoulder stops the flow of false, overenthusiastic words. Still, Naruto's eyes will not meet Iruka's. Iruka sighs and presses firmly on Naruto's shoulder, silently ordering his young friend to sit. There's a bare moment's resistance before Naruto follows his direction and lowers to the bench. Crouching down, Iruka frowns at the defeated posture Naruto adopts once more.
"What's going on?" Only silence answers him. "You've been avoiding me since you returned from your mission. It's not like you. Normally I would've heard your side of the events before I even have a chance to check off the mission report."
Head bowed, blonde hair hides the always expressive eyes from Iruka's view as Naruto says, "I'm not avoiding you. I've just been really busy with training."
A tolerant smile tilts the corners of Iruka's lips. "I've told you before, you're a terrible liar. Give it up and tell me the truth, Naruto."
There's another long pause, but Iruka knows Naruto won't be able to hold the silence for long and waits him out. Finally, with a very uncharacteristic sigh, Naruto meets his gaze.
"I'm sorry, sensei."
Iruka's brow furrows in confusion. He has the distinct impression that the apology is not for Naruto's recent avoidance of him.
"What happened?" he asks in a low tone.
"I… I lost your hitai-ate during the last mission. I took a punch to the head and the guy's fist caught the underside, pushing it off. We had to retreat and I never got the chance to go back and look for it." Naruto lowers his eyes again. "I'm so sorry."
Reaching out, Iruka gives the pale hair a playful tug and Naruto looks up in surprise.
"Were you injured here?" Iruka asks and gently pokes Naruto in the forehead.
"Ah! No, no, not at all. Actually, the corner of the plate cut into the guy's hand pretty bad," says Naruto quickly, wanting to relieve his former sensei's anxiety.
To Naruto's great surprise, Iruka grins and says, "Then I'd say it did its job perfectly."
"Eh?"
Iruka huffs a small laugh at the teenager's confusion. "Well it is called a 'forehead protector' and it did do its duty. I'm very happy about that."
Naruto's face scrunches up in confusion. "But, Iruka-sensei, you gave it to me when I graduated. It was precious and yours. I didn't look after it properly."
In a quick, practiced move, Iruka gives Naruto a solid flick to the centre of his forehead and Naruto yelps in surprise, leaning back and rubbing at the sore spot.
"Idiot," Iruka chides. "You're not supposed to protect it; it's supposed to protect you."
With a fond smile, Iruka settles his hands on Naruto's shoulders. "I didn't hand over that hitai-ate in the forest all those years ago because I didn't have another one on hand. I knew that when you graduated I couldn't watch over you anymore and that you'd be away from the village doing dangerous missions. You became a shinobi, a soldier cast into a strange and deadly world where I could no longer throw myself in front of the danger to keep you safe. Not only that, but I was the one that gave the final stamp of approval to say you were ready to go into the field. Can you understand how difficult that was?"
Naruto stares at him with wide blue eyes and whispers, "I… no."
"That hitai-ate wasn't a token of your graduation or something to remember me by. It was the only bit of protection I could give you in a dangerous world where I can no longer watch your back." Iruka places two fingers on the skin he'd flicked. "So instead I'll watch your head."
Speechless, Naruto watches as Iruka unties his hitai-ate and presses it to Naruto's forehead, deftly tying it in place.
"This is my gift to you. This is my way of watching over you when you're too far from my eyes and your enemies are too far from my blades. When you go into battle wearing this, remember that I believe in you and I have faith that you'll come back alive."
Naruto raises trembling fingers to brush over the engraved metal plate, tracing the symbol of home. His eyes, however, remain firmly fixed on Iruka, wide and overwhelmingly emotive. Standing abruptly, Naruto looks around the deserted street and swallows thickly.
"I… I gotta go."
"I understand," Iruka says calmly, unhurriedly rising from his crouch. He rests a hand on his young friend's head, ruffling the blonde hair. "I expect the full story of your mission tomorrow at lunch time. You know where."
The blonde head remains bowed. "Y-yeah, I'll be there."
"Off you go then."
Naruto takes a few steps away, pauses, and says, "Iruka-sensei… thank you." before taking off running.
Iruka sighs at how strained Naruto's voice sounded on the last two words and watches his only family disappear into the night with a small, soft smile.
"He still has trouble dealing with affection."
Iruka is a more experienced shinobi than Naruto, so he manages to hide both his gasp and his jump of surprise at the deep voice behind him.
"Good evening, Kakashi-sensei," he says smoothly, as if he hasn't just suppressed the instinct to draw a weapon and his heart rate hasn't doubled at the Jounin's unexpected appearance.
"Good evening, Iruka-sensei."
Kakashi comes to stand next to him beneath the streetlight's dull glow, looking down the empty road where Naruto fled.
"He's getting better with it every year," Iruka says. "He spent so much time unloved that when someone lets him know he is… I think the two of us can understand what he goes through."
"Indeed."
There is a moments silence as Iruka thinks back over his conversation with Naruto. He chooses his next words carefully before turning to regard his silent companion and saying, "Thank you for watching over him."
Though he spoke quietly, sincerity is clear in his voice and eyes.
Kakashi hasn't looked at him yet, standing in his familiar slouch, hands in pockets, and staring down the road. "I always will."
The words are undoubtable. Nodding, Iruka turns to make his way home. Before he's taken more than a step, a hand closes firmly around his wrist. Surprised, Iruka turns back to the Jounin.
"Kakashi-sensei?"
It's rare for Kakashi to touch anyone. Though Iruka has been on the receiving end of a few friendly touches during the time they've been acquainted, he knows Kakashi doesn't make physical contact if he can avoid it.
"You can't be there to protect Naruto, but I can. I'm there to watch over him, guard his back, pull him out of danger, and make sure he comes home alive." Iruka's never heard Kakashi sound so serious. There's no hint of the teasing, lazy drawl he's come to associate with the elite. "But, I can't be everywhere. I can't always watch over the ones I… need to."
His wrist is released and Iruka's eyes go wide as Kakashi reaches behind his head and unties his hitai-ate. The masked face turns to him, the famous mismatched eyes locking with his own dark brown. Kakashi steps forward, much closer to Iruka than Iruka had been to Naruto minutes earlier in a similar, yet completely different situation.
"This is my gift to you." The hitai-ate is pressed to Iruka's forehead and tied beneath his ponytail. "When you're too far from my eyes and your enemies too far from my blades, this is the only protection I can give you." Iruka can't breathe, he's forgotten how. "When you go into battle wearing this, remember that I believe in you and I have faith that you'll come back alive."
Kakashi closes the remaining distance between them. He doesn't embrace Iruka, simply presses against him – chest to thigh – and rests his masked cheek against Iruka's saying softly, "And if you don't, I'll hunt down the bastards that took you from me."
A tremble runs down Iruka's spine at the vehemence in the quietly voiced promise. He swallows thickly as Kakashi steps back from him, the sharingan eye hidden beneath a scarred eyelid and hands once more in pockets.
"Good night, Iruka-sensei."
Iruka draws his long awaited breath. "G-good night, Kakashi-sensei." His voice is shakey.
Kakashi vanishes with barely a displacement of air, leaving Iruka standing bewildered in the dull light. Taking a few steps to the bench, Iruka sits where Naruto had been a short time before. Leaning forward to rest his elbows on knees, he raises a hand to his forehead. Fingers trace the leaf-etched plate, noting the unfamiliar nicks and scratches on the metal. At that moment, Iruka knows that he hadn't truly understood Naruto's feelings earlier. Not by a long shot.