Title: The Mission

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Naruto all characters belong to the creator Masashi Kishimoto.

Part 1 of 3

Iruka's eyes narrowed in concentration. He was on a mission and there was nothing on earth that could stop him from completing it. It was one of the hardest missions he had ever done. He was putting his life on the line for the village and he was determined to carry it out no matter what the cost. He honestly didn't know if he would come back alive. What was this mission you ask? It was simple really he was to kidnap and hold hostage one Mr. Ukki. Yes, you heard right his mission was to sneak into Kakashi-sensei's house and kidnap his pet house plant. Now your probably wondering why right? Well, it all started a couple of days ago when Iruka was working at the mission room.

"Hm...Asuma-sensei?" Iruka murmured in a low voice not even looking up from the report he was checking over. Asuma blinked and looked over at the Chunnin frowning at being interrupted from the conversation he was having with Kakashi, Genma, and Radiou.

"Yeah?"
"Can you tell me what that sign says?" Iruka asked politely pointing at the sign hanging on the wall.

Asuma looked up at the sign and frowned. It had a picture of a cigarette with a red circle around it and a red line going through it. Now normally Asuma wouldn't waste time trying to decipher such a complicated code, but he had a rather too calm Chunnin sensei waiting for an answer.

"No smoking?" Asuma finally answered as he then removed what he had just taken a hit of and was now trying to hide; his barely lit cigarette.
"Good, now put that cigarette out like a good little Jounin." Iruka replied pointing at the waste basket by his desk.

Asuma sighed and did as he was told. It wasn't that he was afraid of the sensei it was just that he was in a rather good mood...yeah that was it he was in a really good mood. Of course there was the still fact that last time Iruka had told him to put out his cigarette and he hadn't listened he had somehow found himself doing two months worth of D rank missions with Konohamaru and his little gang.

"Thank you." Iruka said reaching out for Asuma's report and scanning through it. "Everything is in order. Thank you for your hard work, Asuma-sensei."

"Next." Iruka said as he waited patiently for the next person in line to hand in their report. What he wasn't expecting to see was Kotetsu standing in front of him.

"Here Lady Tsunade told me to give this to you." Kotetsu said handing Iruka a mission scroll.
"What?" Iruka asked looking down at the scroll in his hands and slowly opened it. This was rather strange it had been a while since he had been given an assignment to complete.

Iruka,

I need you to get Kakashi to turn in some reports I need to sort out: four D rank, two C rank, and one B rank. He hasn't turned them in yet! And Shizune's getting on my case about it. I want you to find out the reason he hasn't done them and get him to write them as soon as possible. Do whatever you have to do to accomplish it. I don't care if he wants you to read Icha Icha to him just do it! You have one week to complete this mission.

After reading the scroll Iruka glared at it. How hard could it be for her to just call Kakashi up and tell him to write them, but she was the hokage after all so he had no choice in the matter. Iruka put the scroll in his pocket and started trying to figure out what he could use to get Kakashi to turn in those darn reports.

Once at home Iruka was still trying to figure out what he could use. The first thing that came to mind was Kakashi's beloved Icha Icha books, but that wouldn't work since all Kakashi had to do was buy new ones. He could always just walk up to him and ask him nicely to turn them in yet knowing Kakashi he would either just brush him off or make up some lame excuse about how some rabid chicken attacked him and stole his reports.

It wasn't until the next morning that he found something out. He had been passing by the shops when he overheard something that could possibly help him with his mission.

"I don't know what's wrong with him. I always make sure to water him and I take him out to get some sun, but for the last couple of day he's been depressed." A distressed Kakashi said holding up a rather sad-looking potted plant. The poor little guy's leaves were starting to droop.
"Hm..." The owner of the flower shop, who Iruka recognized as Ino's mother, ran a critical eye over the plant. "You can try giving him some vitamins it should help him recover from his little slump."

So that was the famous Mr. Ukki that Iruka had heard so much about from Naruto. Now that he thought about it Naruto had told him that he had given Kakashi-sensei his house plant. According to Naruto his new sensei cherished it and kept it as some kind of pet. Iruka grinned he had just found out what he could use to help him carry out his mission.

_The Present_

So that's how Iruka found himself in front of Kakashi-sensei's house. Now all he had to do was find a way inside. Honestly, he really didn't even want to try and get in an ex-Anbu's house. He would probably be killed halfway in by some deadly trap. That was is if he was even lucky to get that far inside. When he was about to try his luck in getting in he noticed a plant sitting out on the window sill. Looked like Lady Luck was on his side today. He walked over while cautiously looking around to make sure no one was watching and picked up the little plant and walked away.

Kakashi walked through the village Icha Icha in hand and a bag with fertilizer and plant vitamins in the other. The woman at the flower shop had been right. He had given Mr. Ukki this stuff and the little plant had been getting happier and the droopiness in its leaves had gradually started to go way. He had left Mr. Ukki outside to get some sun while he went to the store, the little guy needed all the help he could get and Kakashi was hoping some sunlight would help his plant recover faster. When he got to his house he put his book away and walked over to the window with the bag in hand.

"Okay Mr. Ukki time for your vitamins." Kakashi said while taking the things out of the bag. There was no answer. Kakashi looked at the spot were Mr. Ukki had been and saw no sign of the plant. He frowned looking around his house trying to find his Mr. Ukki. He didn't find a trace of the little plant. Kakashi suddenly gave a knowing smile.

"Mr. Ukki, I was kidding when I said I was going to get another plant. I thought you had gotten over it already." Kakashi said and waited, but still got no response. He sighed not once in his whole life had he ever met such a sensitive house plant. Really now whenever he said something to upset Mr. Ukki he would be given the silent treatment. That was it he had enough.

"Mr. Ukki Hatake you will answer me right this minute or I will take you to stay over at Gai's house for a couple of days. I know how much you dislike Gai's house plant." Kakashi said waiting. He knew if anything could get a response from Mr. Ukki it was the threat of having to stay in the company of Gai's flashy potted plant. If that didn't get that stubborn plant then something must be really wrong. Five minutes later and still no answer and Kakashi was starting to get worried. He searched through every nook and cranny and still no sign of Mr. Ukki. Somebody had stolen his innocent little plant!

Iruka had made it home without any trouble and the first thing he did was set Mr. Ukki on his kitchen table. He stared at Mr. Ukki and he could have sworn Mr. Ukki was staring right back at him, but that couldn't be now could it since Mr. Ukki was a plant after all. Iruka's eyes remained on the plant and he felt Mr. Ukki continue to stare at him. Okay that was enough! He could not believe that he was having a staring contest with a house plant of all things. Iruka's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he stared at the seemingly normal house plant. What was so special about a this house plant anyways? Using his right index finger he gave Mr. Ukki a little poke and nothing happened. What was he getting so worked up about? It was just a little plant that he had stolen...err...kidnapped from one of the deadliest men in all of the Leaf Village. All Iruka had to do was explain things to Kakashi and tell him he would get his plant back once he had turned in all those late reports. Simple right? Right.

Kakashi was looking over the crime seen with a professional eye and found...nothing. Honestly what kind of Jounin was he if he couldn't even find his pet house plant. He was just about to go look through the area once again when he noticed something on the outside of the window sill. He jumped out of his window and picked up a long brown hair. Why would there be a long brown hair caught on his window sill just were Mr. Ukki happened to have been...unless. Kakashi's eyed the long strand of brown hair, his one and only piece of evidence leading him to the person who had committed this horrible crime. Mind made up Kakashi decided was going to visit a certain Chunnin sensei that just happened to have long brown hair.

Tbc