Disclaimer - I don't own. Belongs to Kishimoto.
To the Winner Goes...
Chapter One
Kakashi thought as Gai stood beside him waiting patiently. Gai had challenged him but it was Kakashi's turn to choose what they would be doing. The copy-nin was busy trying to figure out just what it was he could challenge the 'Green Beast' to do. His eyes scanned their surroundings as though looking for an answer somewhere around them. His eyes landed on and followed Umino Iruka as he exited hokage tower. Now there was a challenge. Kakashi smirked to himself.
"Alright, Gai. I have the challenge." He watched as the taijustu master perked up like a kid who just got a butt load of candy. "The first one of us to get Iruka-sensei to go out on a date with them wins."
"But, Kakashi, it is immoral to use the feelings of another in such a way, to manipulate them falsely." Gai gave him a disapproving look. Iruka was a good man. He was not a pawn, a toy for them to play with like he had no feelings. How could Kakashi expect him to go along with this?
"You either accept it or forfeit the point to me. I don't care either way." He shrugged indifferently. He hoped, on one part, that Gai did forfeit so he wouldn't have to spend his time trying to seduce the scarred chuunin. On the other part, it would be fun to try to get a date from Iruka, and maybe something a little more.
Gai mulled over it. Give up the challenge, let himself lose without even trying . . . Or he could simply try to get a date. A date was harmless right? It didn't mean he was committed to it going anywhere but that one date. Dating was a healthy part of a man's life. It wouldn't hurt him or Iruka to go out on a date.
"Alright, Kakashi. What are the rules?" Gai watched the silver-haired man think this over. Either he was making a long list of rules, he couldn't think of a single one, or he couldn't think of any rules he, himself, wanted to be restricted by. The way the man's single eye smirked at him, he knew the latter to be the case.
"There are no rules. Any means necessary. No holds barred." He grinned under his mask. This challenge was as good as won. He'd have Iruka eating out of his hand in no time flat. Besides, why on earth would Iruka go out with Gai when he could go out with Kakashi, the copy-nin mused.
"Who tries first?" Gai asked but the words weren't all the way out of his mouth before he was staring at a smoke where Kakashi had been standing a second ago. "I guess that answers that," he muttered to himself. He would observe his rival's attempts then have his own when the other jounin failed, and he knew he would. Kakashi was too vain when it came to things of this nature. Too vain and too oblivious.
Gai followed the direction he had seen Iruka going when Kakashi had come up with his challenge. It was simple to locate the other two nin. Kakashi had caught up with Iruka outside the ramen stand he frequented with Naruto. All he needed to do was stay out of sight and watch Iruka's reactions to Kakashi's methods; though he was fairly certain already what approach he was going to take to make the most of the situation.
Kakashi walked up to Iruka with a hidden grin. "Yo." He raised his hand in greeting, his eye curved with his smile. He tried to use just the right amount of warmness and friendliness in his tone. To begin his progress slowly even though he didn't have a lot of time for slow. Things would need to go faster once he had made a little leeway.
"Kakashi-san," Iruka greeted, drawing the name out a bit in confusion. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The sharingan user was up to something. Iruka was not about to end up the butt of one of the jounin's schemes.
"You look to be in a pleasant mood. Hear from Naruto?" Naruto, good topic. Iruka was crazy about the boy and had been missing him terribly since he'd left to train with Jiraiya. Now, as long as he didn't put the man in a depressed mood by bringing up the blond, all was good.
"Yes, I did," he confirmed but said no more. Kakashi wasn't interested in Naruto, not right now. No, this was something else entirely. He was up to something. Iruka just knew it. He had, once, worried that Kakashi had no interest or felling at all for any of his three genin students. But, he had come to realize he was wrong, especially once Sasuke had left them. Iruka knew they both felt guilty for what had happened, for the boy leaving. But, the more Iruka thought about it, the more it seemed like fate had decided before any of them thought it was even a possibility. Kakashi's first genin team was destined to become the next legendary sannin.
"He's alright?" Kakashi took a moment to actually talk to Iruka with no hidden motive. He was worried about the fox-vessel. He was worried about all of his students, but at least he got to watch Sakura's progress. In a way, he felt left behind, abandoned. All his students had found new masters. Either he'd been a really good teacher or a really bad one. He wasn't sure and all his time with Obito's memory at the memorial stone didn't give him any insight.
"He's fine. Training hard and complaining about Jiraiya-sama's research. He's having a lot of fun." Iruka smiled fondly, thinking of Naruto screaming at Jiraiya for being a 'pervy sage'.
"Good." Kakashi smiled a smile his mask couldn't contain. He was honestly happy for the knucklehead, but it was time to get back to the real reason he'd stopped to talk to Iruka. "He's lucky to have such a strong man caring for him." He turned the charm on a little. His tone made it obvious. He meant Iruka and not Jiraiya or anyone else.
"Thank you." Iruka watched him, not smiling back though he knew the copy-nin was smiling under his mask. "If you'll excuse me." He went to turn away but a light touch to his arm stopped him.
"No need to rush off." Kakashi leaned closer to the younger man. "We could talk some more. Maybe over dinner?" He tried to sound as casual as possible, coming across completely sincere.
Iruka knew beyond any doubt that Kakashi was up to something now. There was no way he'd ask Iruka to dinner, for any reason and especially not with the implication in his stature, tone, and previous words. No, it wasn't even just dinner. He made it sound like a date. "I can't. Sorry." Truly, though, he really wasn't.
Sure, it'd be nice to catch the eye of man as good looking as Kakashi, as strong, but he knew he hadn't. Not truly. He knew Kakashi well enough to know this wasn't how he'd go after someone he wanted for more than either a scheme or a one night stand. Iruka wasn't interested in one night stands. He wanted a man that would hold him, protect him, care for him. A man he could make and keep happy without worrying he'd go and find someone better. Someone he could love and take care of.
"Come on. I don't bite, unless you like biters," Kakashi teased. He tried to make light of the situation, put the other man at ease.
"I don't know what you're up to, but I'm not falling for it. Go butter someone else into your snare." He tried to turn away again, but again Kakashi stopped him. He knew Kakashi was stubborn, but this was ridiculous. No was no.
"Iruka, you hurt me. I just want a nice dinner. I was only teasing about the biting." His eye curved with a sincere smile. Not that he'd mind biting the saucy chuunin anywhere he wanted bit.
"Not interested," Iruka snapped, trying to get the point across. He turned from the jounin and quickly by casually stalked off. He was not going to be toyed with any further. But in the back of his mind, he imagined this was far from over as far as Kakashi was concerned.
Kakashi sighed as he watched him go. It was time to come up with a new plan. Surely Gai wouldn't get to Iruka, and get the date, before he could at least get one more chance . . . Not that he suspected Gai would have anymore luck than he did. Likely far less.