Title: Running for Life

Anime: Naruto

Pairings: Kakairu, Genrai

I'm back!! I've had this idea floating around for a while, and here's the first chapter. This is a sequel to Running Into Each Other and Running Away from Others. It's a little darker than the other two, but I promise the next chapter will make you laugh!

This has not been beta-d because I don't know of anyone who would read it, so forgive any mistakes.

As always, I do not own these characters. If I did, this would already be an episode and people would be making bad youtube AMV's using the scenes from it.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Suddenly, the world crumbled out from underneath him, and as he fell, he tried very hard not to think about how much the ground was going to hurt when he hit it. The last attack his opponent launched had fractured the ground beneath him, destroying the precarious balance of rocks that had been supporting the cliff. Both of them pitched backwards into the darkness of the chasm below, scrambling to focus chakra to slow their fall.

His body was exhausted. He could not even raise his arms form any seals, but he fumbled with his weapons pouch, forcing his shaking fingers to close around the hilt of his single, remaining kunai. In the last few seconds before they hit the ground, he reached up, wrapping his arm around his opponent's neck and repositioned his other hand to place the kunai in front of his chest, pointed outwards. As they hit the ground, the other man's force drove the kunai hilt-deep into his chest, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood before letting out one, last shuttering breath and collapsing.

With the last of his fading strength, Kakashi shoved his opponent off of him and lay on his back, panting. The other man's weight had slammed the kunai hilt against his chest, and he was sure that it had broken several ribs. Blood dripped from several dozen wounds scattered across his frame, and he raised a trembling hand, dipped the tips of his pale fingers in the pool of blood pouring from the stab wound in his abdomen and pressed his hand to the floor, gasping, "Kuchiyose…no….juts…" The end trailed off, but it was enough.

A small cloud of smoke appeared above the ground and cleared to reveal Pakkun, "Look, boss…." Pakkun stopped talking when he realized that Kakashi would not be answering. He spun around and disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. I have to help him….I have to…I have too….

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The small room was full of shadows, except for the small triangle of light leaking in from the window thanks to the full moon that rose high above the trees. At the very edge of that patch of light, a tanned hand hung out of the covers off the edge of the bed. The occupant was sprawled across the bed, sleeping like he had no bones in his body. The visible hand slowly closed and opened as if he was reaching for something that he couldn't quite grab. The comfortable sprawl lasted for only a few more seconds, then he tucked into a tight ball, before flipping over onto his back. His hands fisted on the sheets briefly, and his eyes opened, taking in the dark room and trying to understand what had woken him.

One hand dragged down the side of the bed as he turned to look at the clock, and it slowly sank in that his and had not encountered the furry lump that had been sleeping with him ever since Kakashi left on his last mission. "Pakkun?" He called out through a yawn and stretched his arms above his head, about to get out of bed. He knew that he would never get back to sleep without the little pug sprawled over his legs. They'd both learned quickly that neither Pakkun nor Iruka slept well when Kakashi was gone and they had to get comfortable on the cold and empty bed. So they'd reached an agreement. Pakkun slept on Iruka's legs, and neither of them told Kakashi about it. It would inflate his already overgrown idea of his own importance in both of their lives.

Before he could toss back the covers, a cloud of chakra smoke enveloped the space of the bed, and Iruka let out a startled 'oof' as a weight dropped sharply down on his stomach. He rubbed at his eyes, yawning again. "Hey, there you…" As his vision cleared, he noticed that Pakkun was partially covered in blood. "What happened?" Iruka came wide-awake in a split second.

"He's hurt." Pakkun looked distressed. "It's-it's bad…."

"He's here?" Iruka asked as his feet touched the cold floor at the bedside.

Pakkun shook his head. "No. I…I couldn't get him back…."

Iruka froze in the middle of putting his pants on. "He's injured out there?"

"Yes."

"Show me."

Iruka grabbed his vest off the chair, pulling it on over his naked torso and grabbing his weapons pouch and a small first aid kit as he ducked out the window. He did not even bother to zip the vest and sprinted after Pakkun.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

They traveled for almost a whole day without rest. Pakkun worried a little bit about Iruka especially when the Chuunin's foot slipped on a tree branch and he almost broke his chin on it when he fell, but Iruka ignored it and continued on. He was too worried about Kakashi to think about a little thing like fatigue.

Pakkun suddenly looked ahead. "He's at the bottom of the cliff up there."

Iruka sprang over the edge, letting gravity take him down to the forest floor below, his feet skidding on the loam as he landed. He froze, a lump solidifying in his throat and making it impossible for him to breath.

Kakashi lay in the middle of the clearing in a dark pool of liquid that rippled slightly with every scarce breath he took.

"Ka-ka…." Iruka swallowed hard. "Kakashi?" The name broke through all reserves and feeling returned to his limbs as he rushed to the Jounin's side. He dropped to his knees beside Kakashi and leaned over the other man, grateful beyond all belief that Kakshi was still alive.

As he leaned in, Kakashi's eyes snapped open. His arm shot up, and he wrapped his fingers tightly around Iruka's throat. The single normal eye was hazed with pain and did not seem to be able to focus on the Chuunin's face. The sharingan whirled dangerously, taking in everything surrounding the fallen Jounin.

Iruka did not struggle. He knew, deep in his heart, that even through the pain, Kakashi would recognize him and would not ever hurt him. I know you Kakashi, and even through all of this, you know me. You won't hurt me. I know you won't hurt me. "Kakashi…" He whispered quietly.

The spinning of the sharigan slowed and then stopped, and both eyes widened. "…ruka…?" The name was barely audible. "Iruka?"

Iruka leaned closer and gently rested his hand on Kakashi's forehead. He was burning up. "I'm here, Kakashi." He paused, watching Kakashi's eyes slowly close. "I'm going to get you home. I promise." But Kakashi had already passed out.

Iruka worked quickly, binding what wounds he could and hoping that carrying Kakashi back to Konoha would not make any of his internal injuries worse. After a few minutes of intense work, he realized that there was nothing more he could do for the Jounin, not at his skill level. He tried to ignore Pakkun pacing behind him, but he honestly wanted to join the pug. He was very worried.

After bracing himself, Iruka slowly stood and lifted Kakashi up over his shoulders. The Jounin groaned, and Iruka shifted him carefully, praying to any deity that was listening that they would allow Kakashi to make it back home alive.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Tsundae-sama." Shizune burst into the room, shaking her head as she approached the Gondaime's desk. "We haven't been able to find Iruka-sensei anywhere. I grabbed Shikamaru-kun and put him in charge of Iruka's class, but…."

Tsunade studied the tile depicting Iruka that sat in the center of her desk blotter. "It's not like him." Her brows drew together. "Any word from Kakashi?"

Shizune shook her head. "No. He was supposed to be back today." She paused, working through Tsundae's line of thought. "You don't think?"

"I think that if anyone is likely to make Iruka-sensei break the rules it's Kakashi-san." Tsunade pressed the tips of her fingers together in front of her face. "I'm worried. About both of them."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kotetsu yawned hugely and dropped his head down onto his arms. "I hate this job."

"Could be worse."

"How could it possibly be worse?"

"We could be carrying papers around for Tsunade-sama."

Kotetsu raised his head quickly from his arms and gave Izumo a thumbs-up. "Touché."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Kotetsu remembered what he was going to ask Izumo about. "Hey, they've got that Shikamaru kid teaching Iruka-san's class, and did you see that look on Tsunade-sama's face when we got there today. I don't think she'd be so mad at Iruka if he was on a mission or if he was just sick. But I can't imagine he'd leave the village without orders."

Izumo finished sorting the stack of papers in front of him and responded quietly as he was counting the pages. "Must be that he was late for coming back from a mission. Iruka-san would not break those kind of rules."

"What...?" Kotetsu stood slowly, looking far into the distance down the path that led from the village gates. Izumo rose to stand beside him and shaded his eyes with his hand to get a better view.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The only thing running through Iruka's mind was that he had to put one foot in front of the other. Kakashi's only hope was getting to the hospital and to Tsunade. He had been carrying the Jounin for almost two days without a break, unable to run for fear of further injuring Kakashi. He was beyond tired, beyond hungry, beyond thirsty, and he didn't care,

His hair hung loose about his face, bobbing with every step. The vest covering his torso was unzipped and covered in blood. The skin underneath it had blood trails on it from him wiping his hands and from his sweat running through the blood dripping from Kakashi's body around his neck. If anything had been able to get through Iruka's single-minded determination, he would have realized that in his haste to get to Kakashi's side he had left his sandals at home and that he had cut both of his feet on sharp rocks and undergrowth during the trek back.

Iruka's whole body was shaking, having reached its limit; none of his training had prepared him for anything like this. The Chuunin raised his head and focused on the red gates before him, promising his body that he would be able to stop once he reached that point.

Kotetsu and Izumo rushed to meet him as his legs gave out, and they caught Kakashi before the injured Jounin crashed to the ground. Iruka did not even have the strength to catch himself as he passed out and collapsed in the dirt.

The last thing he heard was Tsunade shouting incoherent orders at the other two Chuunin. Then her voice grew clearer as she knelt next to him, cursing Kakashi and telling the Jounin to breathe.

Iruka's heart spasmed in his chest. Oh, god, don't let him die…..

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Please let me know what you think!!!! (!!!!!!) I'm serious! Reviews help me write and I really (really really) need constructive criticism. I hope everyone who started reading at Running Into Each Other is enjoying the story lines so far. Again let me know! Especially if you feel like I haven't lived up to the beginning….

Oh, well, I guess that's all the pleading I can do without losing my small shreds of dignity. (please please please….slaps inner voice) cough Sorry about that, I promise, no more begging!

Sunlight through Leaves