Summary: During the absense of Naruto, his two teachers learn to appreciate each other, and learn what it feels to be in love. Shounen-ai. Kakashi/Iruka.

Hullo there. This is my first attempt at writing fics... And I don't know whether I'm any good or not since I haven't written anything for far too long and just to add another story to my favourite pairing, Kakashi and Iruka. They're just too cute... And if you don't like shounen-ai or any kind of boy love, please, don't waste your time flaming or something. Umm, there will be no lemon, coz I dunno how to write that and this will be.. fluffy?

I'll feature some other pairings also, but the main pairing is KakaIru.

Un-Beta-ed. I dunno if I need one...

Nee, enjoy the story!

"blabla" - talking 'blabla' - thoughts xxxxxxxx - scene break

Disclaimer: Don't own.. sadly... If not, I'll have Lee hidden in my room.

Chapter 1 - The Beginning

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The young chuunin looked at the report and back to the person who handed it in. He sighed quietly, scratching the bridge of his nose as the jounin started reading his book. 'That damn peverted book, and damn jounin too.. You no-good bastard...' Iruka thought.

"Kakashi-san, you do realize that this mission report is 5 weeks late?" He asked calmly, not letting his inner self come out and just strangle the man in front of him with his bare hands. "Hmm?" Kakashi replied. The vein in Iruka's temple was threatening to burst.

"With all do respect, Kakashi-san, if you keep doing this, you're not making my job easier you know. And I always have to make up excuses for Hokage-sama if she asks me why the paperwork I did are always not enough."

"Maa maa, Iruka-sensei, surely I didn't mean to hand them a bit late. I just had the time to finish and hand it over today since I had, ah, too much free time.. lately" Kakashi answered, his only seen eye arching up, indicating he was smiling. But Iruka wasn't.

Iruka knew too well that Kakashi was referring to that fact that Team 7 just got disabanded. This brought a sad feature to Iruka's face.

'I wonder how Naruto is doing now... Is he allright, travelling with Jiraiya... I mean, that man is a pervert despite the sannin recognition and Naruto could be affected and be more of a pervert than he was and...'

"Helloo? Iruka... Are you there?" Kakashi said, waving his fingers in front of the dolphin chuunin.

"Ah! Oh! Sorry... just got a bit... umm... something..." Iruka answered with a smile and a blush, embarrased that he spaced out in front of Kakashi. "Well, thanks anyways for handing this in, and I'll guess I'll see you later then." he said with a forced sweet smile.

"Hmm... Ja, ne..." Kakashi said before poofing out from the mission room.

"Haaaaaaa..." Iruka slumped on his seat. 'More work... whoohoo...'

"Heh, Kakashi's late report again, Iruka-san?" asked Genma interestedly, chewing a senbon in his mouth. "Hah, like you do know him, I swear, if he ever do that again, I'm so damned sure that I'll get fired." Iruka said with a scowl on his face.

"My lovely Umino Iruka-sensei! The once teacher of my beloved students, how are you today? I'm sure youth still haven't escaped you today because you look radiant and as charming as ever!"

Iruka sweatdropped. "Ohayo, Gai-san. I believe you are fine?"

"Yes, of course! The youthness is smiling down on me today and blessed me with a wonderful sight such as an angel as you! Or as Neji would say it, it was fate that I have been blessed to see such sight! Ah, how great the flaming youthness feels like!"

Iruka was too nice to laugh at his words. "Ah, well, may I help you today Gai-san?"

"Ah! Always so sweet and polite you are Iruka-sensei! I was just wondering if my eternal rival Kakashi took up a mission today. I certainly won't lose to him as we are rivals to the end of our lives!" Gai said, striking a pose and gave Iruka a thumbs up, teeth glistening in the light.

"Well, not today, he didn't. He just handed in a report. ('and a very late one, too boot' Inner Iruka snarled) I'm sure he's enjoying some free time since, well, you know..." the shy chuunin said, ending with an obviously forced smile at the end of his sentence.

"Ah! Such perilous sight! Sadness really doesn't suit your face, sensei! We should embrace life! Yes! And be merry that we are still in this lovely world!" Gai said vigorously. "Well, I better set off now, as I promised Lee to accompany him on a 500 lap run around Konoha! We shall meet again, my lovely youthful sensei!"

And Gai went along his merry way. Iruka buried his face under his arms and let out a muffled scream.

"I swear to god if talking to jounins are always this tiring, or hearing them like that again, I'm gonna jump off the Hokage monument!"

"Haa, Iruka-san, it's not that bad... at least we know that Gai probably has a crush on you." Genma said teasingly with a smile, senbon on the left side of his mouth.

Upon hearing what Genma said, Iruka felt like crying. To him, taking care of snotty 5 year olds are a lot better than having to handle with the anitics of Konoha's elite jounins. His life is starting to take another bumpy road again.

'I need a hug...'

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'Saturday. No school today. No kids yelling and trying to kill me in class. No papers to grade. No duty. No missions. No crazy jounins... Nothing today...'

Iruka rolled on his bed. Still sleepy eyed, he looked at the ceiling. "What am I gonna do today... A free day... and tomorrow too..."

It was raining in Konoha, which was a good thing, since then hadn't had rain since a few weeks ago. He got up and took a hot shower, reluctantly, missing the warmth of his comfy bed.

"Breakfast, breakfast... what shall I have today..."

The sight that greeted Iruka in the cupboard was a cup of instant miso ramen.

"Ha... Shopping it is..."

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With an umbrella in one hand and groceries in the other, Iruka made his way back to his apartment. It was almost noon, and breakfast was long forgotten. Random thoughts assaulted his head and before he realized it, he had taken a wrong route.

'Then on Monday should've been another quiz, but the kids wanted to have weapon training... and... Eh? Where am I?'

Iruka ended up at the memorial stone. 'Hoookayy... I'm wayy too lost... Eh? Who's that?'

A dark figure was standing in the rain, in front of the memorial. The figure was hunched and from the looks of it, was soaking wet to the bone, and his dark grey ('Silver?') hair limp.

"Kakashi-san?"

The figure turned around. It was Kakashi. But something was off. His eyes... It looked as if he's lost... and hurt, not the usual upwards curve that was usually misleading.

"Kakashi-san? Daijoubu ka?" Iruka asked, nearing the wet figure.

"Hai, Iruka-sensei, daijoubu desu..."

"You should get back home, you're all wet, or you could warm up at my place and..."

"Shh..." Kakashi said, placing a cold finger on Iruka's lips, silencing the chuunin and made him blush. "The world is crying... can you hear it? It's crying for all of us, because we hide too much of our sadness and lock them inside our hearts. It's crying for us because we are too proud to show emotions as a shinobi. It's crying to remind us that shinobi's are human, and I too, am reminded I am human..." he said, his thumb caressing Iruka's blushing cheeks.

The scarecrow walked off, and turned, "You know, you shouldn't worry much about Naruto, sensei... You look bad with a frown on your face."

Then he poofed into thin air, leaving a blushing Iruka.

His hand came at his right cheek, "How did he know?"

Oblivious to anyone, the rain in Konoha was growing something between two shinobis.

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Iruka-dolphin Kakashi-scarecrow Sensei-teacher Daijoubu ka?-are you allright?
Ja ne-see you later Ohayo -good morning

Writing Gai was harder than I thought. Heehee... But I hope it's not too OOC. I shall commit seppuku they are... Haa... Review no jutsu! Onegaiiii

TBC