Kakashi's request had been received and a medical team was suddenly on route, following Pakkun until they found the team, Kakashi was carrying the Chuunin's dead weight on his back for a couple of days already, everyone looked exhausted and worried for the still unconscious man. The medical team quickly took to work, meticulously checking all of the injuries Iruka had accumulated.
"He's been tortured," one med-nin said aloud, partly to his own team, partly to Kakashi, "but some of these look like they are from inside."
"Yeah, I caught the guy, he'd henged into someone else's form." Kakashi spoke softly, fighting a lump in the back of his throat, "He may have henged again before we found him, he's in the bingo book." Kakashi stood kicking rocks, hands in his pockets not wanting to look at anybody. He had failed, he had lost Iruka and now he was unconscious and clearly fighting his injuries, and possibly himself.
The medical team set to work treating some of the smaller wounds that were starting to form red edges as though an infection was starting to take. Kakashi had tried to help as much as he could when he found Iruka again, but there were too many cuts all over his exposed skin.
Once the ointment was applied they all headed back home again. They should get there by nightfall if they didn't take too many breaks, Kakashi had already decided he would just continue without breaks until he had Iruka in the hospital, being treated.
When they finally got to Konoha Shizune was waiting at the gate, along with an ANBU, ready to teleport Iruka straight to his hospital room where Tsunade was already waiting and ready to focus on healing the Sensei.
"He's been tortured, the attacker was from the Bingo book," Kakashi said sternly, trying to maintain his compsure, "I think he had henged before attacking Iruka, possibly into one of us." He gestured towards the rest of Team 7 and himself shakily.
The ANBU simply nodded and took Iruka silently before teleporting away with a pop.
Kakashi let out a shakey breath and headed toward the hospital. He knew there was no point in rushing as he wouldn't be able to see Iruka yet anyway, but he had to be there when he woke up, needed to know he would pull through this.
"We'll visit you two in the morning Kakashi-sensei" Sakura said suddenly, breaking the silence. "I'm sure he'll be fine, he just needs some rest." She gave him a small bow as she quickly grabbed Naruto and dragged him away before the Blonde had a chance to say anything. Sasuke just nodded and walked away towards the others.
Kakashi remained silent and didn't show any form of recognition toward the kids, he didn't have the energy to smile at the moment.
After what felt like hours of waiting outside Iruka's hospital room, Tsunade finally emerged to speak to Kakashi.
Kakashi immediately stood up, facing the Hokage but not making eye contact, instead looking down at the Brunettes Hitae-ate in his hands.
"Physically, he will be okay," she said cautiously, "but we won't know anything of his mental state until he wakes up."
Kakashi nodded slightly, but didn't say a word. He didn't trust his voice to come out evenly, so he didn't try.
"There's no point telling you to go home and get some rest is there?" She half smiled and opened Iruka's door for Kakashi to enter, "He will probably be out for a couple of days yet."
When Kakashi stepped into the room he saw Iruka sleeping, far from peacefully, in the far side of the room, looking way too pale for comfort. Tsunade silently closed the door again and left Kakashi to guard the Sensei.
A day and a half later, Iruka started to stir. Not that he was awake, more reliving what had happened on the mission. Kakashi jolted awake when he noticed the panicked breathing and unrest on the Sensei's face. He gently pushed the now shorter brunette hair from his face, calling his name to wake him. When blurry brown eyes finally blinked open Kakashi softly spoke.
"Iruka-Sensei, you are safe," his voice started to betray him, "you are in the hospital in Konoha." Iruka blinked a few times and finally focused on the form infront of him.
Upon seeing Kakashi's grey eye so close again, Iruka jumped up from the bed, pushing a startled Kakashi backwards with a growl of warning. He was reaching for his weapons pouch before he realised he was in a hospital gown.
"What, you couldn't finish me in the field with the kids around, so you thought you'd finish me here?!" Iruka spat, flaring his chakra in hopes to draw attention to his room. "You didn't have enough fun already?!"
Kakashi stood speechless, not really sure what was going on.
"Wha-what are you talking about?" He croaked out. Iruka was glaring daggers at him when Tsunade came rushing in to put Iruka back in bed, trying to quiet the still shouting chuunin, swearing and trying to get out of the Hokage's grip, not taking his eyes off the silver haired nin.
"It was me..." Kakashi said slowly, disheartened at the realisation. "He had henged into me... and used my image to torture him..." he muttered and stood back in the corner of the room. Tsunade silently nodded in recognition of what Kakashi was saying but was currently getting an uncooperative Iruka strapped into bed.
By the time Iruka was in bed, and mostly cooperating, Ibiki was in the room. Kakashi slipped out into the hall, they would tell him whatever was relevant after Ibiki's interrogation of the poor Sensei.
The interrogation didn't go so well, it mainly consisted of "Kakashi must have teleported us somewhere" and "He's a fucking trained killer". Yelling at Tsunade and Ibiki when they were refusing to unstrap him from the table when he knew the Jounin was just outside the door. Whenever he said anything about Kakashi, he made sure to yell it loud enough that the Jounin would hear it.
After half an hour of getting nowhere Ibiki opened the door to address Kakashi.
"He's convinced it was you," he said sternly, "how can you convince me it wasn't?" Now towering over the accused man.
"I was with the kids" He replied softly, feeling utterly defeated, "I lost track of him..." he sighed and looked back to his hands which still fiddled with the Sensei's hitae-ate nervously. "Was... I mean... Did..." he shook his head for a moment trying to find the words, "Sharingan" fell in a whisper, just enough for Ibiki's trained ears to hear.
Ibiki blinked silently and suddenly left Kakashi again going back to Iruka. "Do you remember seeing his Sharingan Iruka-Sensei?" He spoke suddenly, jolting Iruka from his brooding.
"Yes, I mean, no - I didn't see it, but I could feel it spinning behind his hitae-ate, I could swear I could hear it!" He replied extremely agitated suddenly. "So what?! What does that change?!"
"If he wanted to torture you, or to kill you," Ibiki stated, "why wouldn't he use his Sharingan? Unless somebody hadn't seen what was underneath?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Iruka asked angrily, "we all know what is underneath!"
"He hasn't left the hospital in 3 days," said Ibiki slowly, "he thinks someone henged into his image to torture you." Iruka shook his head disbelievingly as he thought back to the attack. "Just think it over Sensei, I'll be back tomorrow" the torture specialist said before leaving the room with Tsunade.
"You may aswell go home brat," Tsunade offered as she passed Kakashi, "he's not going to change his mind any time soon." Kakashi nodded in recognition but stayed outside the Sensei's room all the same.