Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I would be a happy camper. But I don't and am satisfied with creating stories that involve lots of delicious pairings such as Kakashi and Iruka.
Author's Note (A/N): This is my first fanfic involving these two brave shinobi. Please enjoy the story and review as writers can only improve their skill with the help of others. However, no flamers. If you don't like this pairing, then kindly go somewhere else. If you do, then continue reading below!
Home is Where the Heart is
Chapter 1: A Simple Errand?!
It had been a simple mission: assassinate all targets, get the scroll, and escape unnoticed. Well, he successfully completed all three objectives but not unscathed. Several cuts covered his biceps, and a deep gash graced his side. Somehow, he underestimated his opponents, a rare mistake on his part. No, scratched that. It was the Hokage's mistake, a rare one on her part. Tsunade gave brief instructions to the assignment, saying that the people involved were indeed good shinobi but of course, not as good as Leaf shinobi.
The scroll was originally Konoha's, stolen from it several years ago during the attack by Oto and Suna villages. Luckily, it only contained information concerning the history of the kages, but who would go through all the trouble to steal it? Perhaps there was some secret message stored within the scroll.
Speaking about the scroll, it was nicely tucked away inside his vest, which was getting wetter and wetter by the minute. Damn! The wound was deeper than he thought. He quickly analyzed his surroundings before stopped on a tree branch. Right on the border between Fire and Water Country, he couldn't risk concentrating all his chakra on his wound. Shinobi could still be out, either on patrol or running errands like him. Errands. He needed to have a word with Tsunade about that. She dubbed the missions as "errands," as if it was easy. Normally for him, majority of the missions were not that difficult, thanks to his Sharingan and experience.
He managed to only slow the bleeding before a shuriken flew past him and hit the trunk just inches away from his face. He had anticipated being followed and thusly pretended to focus all his energies into healing himself.
A young shinobi, inexperienced and brash, followed him even within the territory of Konoha. The oak tree was half a mile into Fire country. Both legally and politically, Kakashi had every right to kill the pursuer. Unfortunately, he was running dangerously low on chakra, thanks to the skilled mist shinobi. He blocked a flying Chinese star, which crashed through the tree he was sitting near by. Wow, he needed to pay more attention otherwise the infamous Copy-nin would go down in history as the one was offed by an inexperienced nin.
Before he could do anything, twin water dragons came rushing towards at very high speed. Barely dodging it, he somehow ran into the enemy's nodachi, embedding itself into his shoulder. Fuck, this is not supposed to be happening. Out of desperation, he opened his sharingan and analyzed his opponent more clearly. This act itself was quite painful as usual copious amounts of chakra were used just to have it open. Now, he barely had enough to keep himself alive.
There was only thing to do.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"
Puffs of teleportation could be heard throughout the woods, placing the enemy into a defensive stance. Surrounding Kakashi in a protective circle were..
"Dogs?! You going to have dogs finish me off?"The shinobi was flabbergasted. There was no way in hell this could be the famous Hatake Kakashi. He smirked and performed a very familiar set of hand signs. Kakashi was ready for it though and he looked at Pakkun, a small pug with a bandanna on his head.
"You know what to do, my friend,"
"Because we've done it too many times," Pakkun sighed in reply and he lifted his haunches.
"Hai," Kakashi agreed, sighing heavily as he turned to the young nin in the heavy fog. A heavy sense of déjà vu blanketed Kakashi's senses briefly before a pained scream echoed through the grey layer of air. His prey was already caught by the nin-kin; Kakashi could smell his blood even through his hitaiate. The screams were cut short, only to be replaced by a soft gasp as Death greeted his prey in the form of chidori.
He let the body drop and collapsed heavily against the nearest tree trunk. The nin-kin bounded for him, Pakkun and Kato in lead.
"You know you over did it this time," Pakkun's question sounded more like a statement as Kakashi could only nod weakly. "You don't even have enough chakra to heal yourself."
"I...know…"
Saying that, he slowly stood up and he almost fell over as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him. To make matters worse, his left eye was throbbing painfully, as if the giver was sharing his pain as well.
Pakkun looked at him, his eyes frowned in concern as he took in his master's condition. Usually they awaited his commands, but in rare cases, the nin-kin have taken initiative to do things, such as getting their master home when he was too hurt to even say something.
"No…I…can get to my place ok," Kakashi managed to say, still haunched over as sweat rolled off his face and unto the ground.
Kakashi, quit being a hero and let someone help you
Kakashi's eyes widened as the thought insinuated in his mind. That's just something Obito would say to him. Or maybe the Yondaime. No, it would definitely be Obito. Concerned but exasperated.
Normally he would gladly give in, but he did have a reputation to uphold in Konoha. He was the infamous Hound, an ANBU member that is feared throughout the five countries and beyond too. His missions were usually S-ranks, because no one else would take them. Either family or something personal would tie them too closely to the village. Additionally, he always returns to the village on his own two feet, unless he was in a two-man team with his "eternal rival" Mito Gai. Although he wouldn't flat out and say it, Gai was one of the few he trusted with his life and having to be carried home by him would brook no argument from him. However, with anyone else, he usually declines their offer, respectfully of course.
Being on his own though, Kakashi made one more attempt to stand up and did so successfully as he ruthlessly pushed his pains in the back of his mind. He didn't dare look down at Pakkun when he ordered him and Bull to stay with him while Kato and the others should go ahead and get everything set up at his apartment.
He took a deep breath and looked forward to Konoha, his birthplace and future home.
Kato and Dairo teleported in their master's bedroom and sniffed the air before continuing to the bathroom. Kato, a bespectacled dog of medium size, reached up to a small brown cabinet hanging over the toilet. He pawed the door open and let Dairo hop on his back and run up to the cabinet. The little furry nin-ken bit on a corner of a dark red towel with blue trimmings and pulled it out successfully. With a strength that belied his little frame, he gripped the towel more firmly in his mouth and lightly jumped off Kato's head, the nails barely touching the sensitive dog's head.
Dairo landed smoothly on the cool tiles and spread the blanket, knowing that his master will pop in this exact location in several minutes. Kato nudged the lower cabinet open and pushed a tube of cream, already infused with Kakashi's chakra out, with his spotted paw. Suddenly, the air seemed to shift slightly and both dogs knew that Kakashi was arriving.
Kakashi gasped and heaved as he landed on the cool tiles, falling over as black dots danced across his field of vision. He blearily felt a paw pushing him over onto his back and saw concerned pairs of eyes looking down at him. The one thing he noticed before giving into the gentle darkness was how the eyes looked remarkably similar to Obito's eyes.
Kakashi, go to sleep for once. I've got your back.
"He's out," Pakkun reported and he looked to Bull, his stance haunched over and his head low as he was the one who had to lift his master and transport him here. The little pug sighed heavily and looked up at the other dogs.
"Bull, Kato, lift Kakashi up and Dairo, help me get his flak jacket off him."
Somehow, the dogs managed to do all that without dripping excess saliva on their master. Once the Sharingan-user was propped gently against Bull, the biggest nin-kin out of all his peers, Pakkun and Dairo tore the flak jacket, eliciting soft moans from their master. Bull gave a quiet growl to let Kakashi know that he was safe and in good hands. Dairo and Kato opened the tube, with Dairo using his paws to gently pop the lid open while Kato held it in his paws. Kato squeezed some onto Pakkun's already stretched out paw and he watched as Pakkun lightly smeared the cream on several bruises that mottled the pale torso. The open wounds were just going have to wait until either their master wakes or have one of them fetch Tsunade.
From experience, the little pug realized that Kakashi would wake up a few minutes after passing out from a serious injury and he knows that getting Tsunade would not be taken well with his master. So, Pakkun opted for the first choice and true to his word, Kakashi's eyes fluttered open.