Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

"You'll late tonight?" Iruka asked before Kakashi left him at staff room in Academy. That noon, nobody was there but those men.

"I guess so," Kakashi replied.

Iruka smiled and kissed Kakashi's cheek softly.

"Don't get angry with me," said Iruka, "but that ramen-eating match is silly. You both are adults. You don't have to prove who's better than the other. It's wasting time."

"Iruka-sensei, you can laugh at me, but believe me, those matches that I've done with Guy-sensei, are important to me. They've made me feel better."

"How come? I don't understand."

"You don't have to," Kakashi answered. He kissed Iruka on the lip and then jumped into the window. In a second, the masked man's vanished from Iruka's view.

"If I'm a jounin, maybe I don't use the doors either," Iruka mumbled. He took his things and left the room. By using the door, of course.***

Who was the best jounin instructor in Konoha? There was no doubt, the answer was Guy-sensei!

What? Why not Kakashi-sensei?

Execuse me? Kakashi-sensei was the worst one! Wanted some proofs? Only one of his pupils got a promotion to became a chuunin. Another one was still a genin. And the remain was a nukenin, an outlaw! Nobody would dare to say it was an achievement.

Like Iruka always said, Kakashi probably was the most important jounin in Konoha. He could be the strongest jounin, but he was the worst instructor ever. He even failed to prevent his favorite pupil from leaving Konoha years ago.

And looked at Guy. Two of his pupils were chuunin and proudly, the last one reached the same level as his instructor. Even Kurenai and Asuma haven't reached the same achievement yet. Everybody maybe laughed at his silly acts, but Guy surely was a great instructor.

At nights when Kakashi regretted his failures, the thought about Guy's success sometimes bothered him. Kakashi was only human. Enviousness allowed.

But not tonight.

After winning another ramen-eating match with Guy at Ramen Ichiraku, Kakashi moved to going home. It was a late night and Kakashi didn't want to make Iruka wait a little longer. He had to keep his promise to stayed over at Iruka's place. The brunet man should be waiting for him.

"I'm jealous at you," said Guy while they're walking home. Just before they would separate in a street corner.

"For defeating you at Ichiraku?" asked Kakashi.

"No. For having an important genin and lovely chuunin. I might be your rival, but I can't defeat you by that."

""Excuse me? I should be the one who said that. You have Neji, your jounin pupil. Lee and Tenten are chuunins, so what disturbs you?"

"Naruto was still a genin, but he—with no doubt—was a hero for Konoha. Not much instructor that I know who has boon like that."

Kakashi paused, looked so surprise. So, Guy thought that he was lucky?

Guy—who was surprisingly very wise tonight—patted on Kakashi's shoulder. He moved his head toward someone whom was walking close to them.

"And you know," Guy continued, "not like me, you have someone whom always care. Someone who will accompany you during nights."

Kakashi looked at someone whom now was standing in front of them. He was Iruka. The 'dolphin man' looked worry.

"I've told you that I'm going to late," said Kakashi, "you don't have to catch me up."

"I know. But I don't know that you aren't home at midnight."

"See, Kakashi? This is what I mean," Guy said, "I can't beat you up by this. I don't have someone who loves me like that." That 'mighty man' started to cry. Just like he always did on a touching moment like this.

Iruka looked at Kakashi, asked for an explanation. But Kakashi was too lazy to explain anything. It seemed like sunshine covered his face that night. So bright that could make him felt alive. So, his next move was carried the brunet man on shoulder and run to took his lover home.

"Kakashi-san, I can walk by myself!"

"I don't want you to get tired. We have something to do tonight, my chuunin sensei!"

Iruka googled. But in a second, he blushed. Probably because he thought that he would enjoy the thing that Kakashi wanted to do with him.

At the place where he was still standing, Guy cried loudly. He seemed to be very touched. What a weird guy.

"Is that okay for leaving him there?" asked Iruka.

"He'll be fine."

At last, Iruka didn't say anything. He just smiled.

Meanwhile, Kakashi also smiled behind his mask. Thought that he might be not the best jounin instructor in Konoha, but for sure, he was better than best one because he had a Konoha's hero as a pupil. And more than that, he also had a lovely caring chuunin sensei named Iruka. Not every jounin would have a chance to had boons like that, weren't they?

THE END

Note :

Happy birthday, Iruka-sensei! :)