A/N: I apologize for the long delay in updating. I just couldn't get into another chapter emotionally until the mood finally fit what I wanted. So now here we are! Another helpful thing is that I have a new laptop and can enjoy the comfort of my couch as I type up more stories!

Chapter 2

17 days later

Warm rays of sunshine reached into the window to lay upon tanned skin. The bright light slowly woke up the sleeping Academy teacher. Iruka Umino looked out the window with squinted eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness.

"Ugh, I should really learn to close the curtains." He murmured aloud to no one in particular. Iruka rolled over and stared at the opposite wall, something he regretted as he saw the photographs of his friends and family hanging there. Smiling faces looked back at him. Some had passed and some he rarely spoke to anymore because of his depression. The only thing that kept him going were the boys, who were spending the weekend at Choji's.

He moved to sit up and go to the bathroom. As he stopped in the hall he saw the calendar. "Shit," he said, "It's Anko's birthday today." In big bold purple letters, Anko had written ANKO'S PARTY – be there or DIE! Iruka groaned. He really did not want to leave the house today. Especially to where there would be a lot of people in close proximity of each other. That wasn't counting when they became a large drunk crowd. He remembered promising his best friend that he would be there. A lot had changed over time though.

He finished up in the bathroom and went to his closet to find an outfit for the night. Perhaps he would sneak out after an hour. Iruka wondered if anyone would be upset with him after not having spoken or hung out for a long time. Anxiety began to creep into his gut. Would Kotetsu and Izumo be there? He started going through his roster of friends in his head and became nauseous with anxiety.

Digging through the dresser, he couldn't figure out what to wear. He hadn't been eating properly and so he's lost some weight. His civilian clothes hung off his frame. Iruka hadn't realized just how little he had been taking care of himself. As long as the boys were taken care of, he never really bothered about himself. Frustrated, he slammed his palms down on the dresser and hung his head to avoid looking at his reflection. Tears fought their way out and Iruka just let them fall. His life used to be full of optimism and smiles. Where the hell did he go wrong? He could no longer hold in the sobs as he let his body slump to the ground and let months and years of pent-up emotions flood out.

Ooooooooooooo000000000000ooooooooooooO

Kakashi was out on the rooftops heading home from a mission. He decided to pass Iruka's to see how the chunin was. Just as he got to the complex across from the teacher's apartment, he felt a chaotic burst of chakra, undulating in a distressed manner. He looked straight into the bedroom window watching Iruka hunch over his dresser and then slump to the floor. Kakashi gasped and jumped to the tree by the window to check on Iruka. What he saw tore his heart in two. Iruka was curled up on the floor in the fetal position, crying. Low keening sounds of despair could be heard through the window by Kakashi's sharp sense of hearing. He longed to just bust through the glass and comfort the chunin but knew Iruka would resent him if he did. So Kakashi just henged into a cat and settled himself on a branch. He watched over the chunin until exhaustion and sleep took over.

Once Iruka had cried himself into deep sleep, Kakashi went in through the living room window that he discovered was open. He picked up the sleeping teacher and laid him down on the bed. He wiped away his tears and covered him with a light blanket.

I wonder what happened to make him like this, thought the jonin. He looked around and noticed clothes scattered everywhere. He wandered out of the room and saw the calendar in the hall. Looking at today's dates, Kakashi muttered a curse. He had also forgotten about Anko's party. With a groan, he finished checking the rest of the apartment. Not much food in the cabinets except what growing boys would eat. He remembered the few times he had come with Naruto to have a Team 7 dinner. Iruka always used to keep full cabinets. No leftovers in the fridge either. Nothing else sparked his interest so he went back to the bedroom.

Judging from the casual but nicer quality of the clothes haphazardly strewn everywhere and the calendar date, Iruka must have been trying to find something to wear when he broke down. Kakashi sighed. He had hoped that the young man hadn't broken down over a wardrobe crisis. As he looked at the sleeping man he noticed what he had been unable to before. Iruka's complexion was paler than it used to be. This made the dark circles under his eyes easier to see. Kakashi noticed how Iruka's face seemed a little thinner too. A thought occurred to him and he peeled back the cover, pulling up the shirt. Sure enough Iruka's ribs were showing. He didn't look starved, but he was too skinny.

The jonin sat on the floor and just looked at the man in front of him. "What is going on in your life, Iruka?" He said softly. He sat there for another ten minutes and then decided he needed to get home and change out of his mission uniform. A shower would be nice too. Then he would try figure out how to help Iruka.