Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

Warning: Those in previous chapters still apply.

Thanks to everyone who has read my story. And an even bigger thanks to anyone who has reviewed it. I hope you enjoyed (and continue to do so) it.

thinking "dialogue"

Need to Know

Recap:

However, Kakashi spoke first, "I need to tell you something, Iru-chan."

Chapter 4: Truths Revealed

"Okay, um, what do you need to tell me?" Iruka was slightly startled by the sudden confession.

"Niea isn't my daughter. And she is the reason that I was attacked."

"What? What do you mean? Why would you lie about that?" Iruka was so very confused.

"Just listen to me for a minute, please?" Iruka nodded his head. He didn't really have much of choice though, not with that look in Kakashi's eye. "She isn't my biological daughter. I took her in when she was five and I've treated her as such since then though."

"Why you? Why did you need to take her in? What happened to her mother? Her father?"

"Her mother was terrified of her. She left about six months before Niea's fifth birthday. Niea's empathetic and she has a bloodline limit and her mother couldn't handle it. Her father was killed about a week before I found her, on her fifth birthday. He loved her unconditionally."

Iruka was saddened to hear the tale so far and deeply curious. "What happened?"

"When her mother left, she went back to her own village. They all feared Niea and came up with a plan to kill her and it was to be executed on her fifth birthday. Her father hid her away where she wouldn't be found. He and the rest of her village then protected Niea with their lives. When I stumbled across her a week later, she immediately clung to me. I was a goner. I had never felt so protective of one other person in my entire life. I had no choice but to bring her back and care for her."

"And nobody knows because that would put her in danger?" Iruka asked. Kakashi nodded. "But why is she the cause of you being attacked?"

"I haven't told her this but her mother's village recently discovered that she is still alive. They think that she's in Konoha and assumed that I would know something about her being here then. They think that the Hokage and the rest of the village are protecting her."

"So, they obviously don't know very much." Iruka stated.

"No, they don't. They assumed that she would die of starvation nine years ago when they left her. And they were perfectly fine with it." Kakashi's anger was palpable. Iruka understood why but he couldn't seem to understand the reasoning behind their fear. What could have them so afraid that they don't care if a child starves to death? That people could do that just makes me sick!

"So… why haven't you told her yet?"

"It would only hurt her. Knowing that her mother still hates and fears her? That would be more than enough pain, but knowing that she was the reason I was injured? I'm not sure that she could handle that."

"But isn't the fact that you are hiding it going to make her think that she should feel bad about it?"

Kakashi smiled to himself, "We never talk about missions until I'm recovered. She's too busy worrying about me and I just don't bring it up. It'll give me a chance to reassure her that everything is okay, that I'm okay. She won't have to feel so bad about it."

Iruka smiled now. A whole new side to love… "You seem to take excellent care of her."

Kakashi blushed slightly, though, thankfully, it was hidden by his mask. "I don't know if I'd say that. Sometimes, I'm not sure which one of us is taking care of the other."

"Well, if she's capable of taking care of you that's just proof of how well you've raised her." Iruka argued.

"She's a good kid."

"So, what is it about her that would make Konoha WANT to protect her? Why do they think that we'd all hide her?"

"Niea's abilities would make her a huge asset to any village; she is the ultimate fighting weapon. They just found reason to believe that we are the village that took her in."

"Is that why you took her in? To train her and turn her into 'the ultimate fighting weapon'?"

Kakashi was surprised, "No! I wouldn't do it to her then and I couldn't do it to her now, nor would I want to. Besides, she wouldn't even need any training. There's a reason that no one knows she's here excluding us two. The truth is, when I found her, I probably needed her as much as she needed me and possibly even more."

"You needed her as well?" Iruka questioned, surprised and a little pleased.

"Yeah…she made me feel needed. I was the only one that could care for her. I was the only one that could be there for her. And sure, almost anyone could have been her 'one' but it didn't seem that way to me."

"It doesn't matter what anyone COULD have done. All that really matters it what you DID do." Iruka pointed out.

"I guess you're right. And I wouldn't want to change any of it."

Iruka was touched, and he so enjoyed getting to see this whole new side of Kakashi. It made it seem even more right that he loved the other ninja. "Oh, and don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

Kakashi looked shocked for a moment before admitting, "I never thought it wasn't." Iruka blushed slightly.

"Why not?" The question was out before Iruka could even think about it. If he had actually thought about it, he would have never let it slip.

"Because I trust you. If I didn't, do you honestly think I would tell you something so important about my daughter?"

"No, no you wouldn't do something like that. You are a genius after all."

Kakashi laughed slightly before wincing in pain. Iruka was at his side in an instant before assisting him to lie back down in the bed.

"You should rest." He pulled the blanket up to the other man's elbows before walking to the doorway and continuing, "I'll go out and find us something for dinner."

KIKIKIKIKIKIKI

As Iruka walked through the streets of Konoha, he felt a pair of eyes watching him. He glanced around and noticed a young girl hiding in the trees. When their eyes caught, they nodded to each other and she left, seen by no one but Iruka. He then followed her subtly so that none would notice.

Iruka found himself in a hallway of an apartment building with the door at the end left slightly ajar. He cautiously entered, his eyes glancing around the entire time.

When he spotted the young girl in front of him again, he greeted, "Hello Niea."

"Hey Iruka-dono." She sounded almost shy.

"So this is Kakashi-sensei and your home? It's nice. Cleaner than I was told to expect." Iruka commented.

"I clean. I have time to clean. Somebody has to take care of him. He always seems to be last on his own list of priorities."

"He mentioned that you take very good care of him. And I'm starting to figure that second part out."

"You're rather observant then. He does hide it fairly well."

"I'm supposed to be observant. So, what were you doing in the trees?"

She shrugged, "I like to watch. Nobody ever knows I'm there. Ever. You're not gonna tell Ashi, are you? He'd be so angry with me!"

Iruka laughed, "No, don't worry. He won't learn about it from me. I had a rather interesting conversation with your father after you left."

Niea instantly perked up, "Really? About what?"

"About you actually."

She was disappointed, but didn't let it show. She seemed slightly awkward as she spoke, "About me? So, you know he's not really my father then?"

Iruka shook his head, "I know nothing of the sort. I know there's no biology between you two. I also know more about your story."

Niea took in a couple of deep breaths before asking, "So, if you know what I am, why are you here with me?"

"I know that you're a special but lonely young girl…" Iruka stressed the word 'girl' before trailing off. "I'm here because I wanted to talk to you."

She tilted her head to the side and asked, "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Not particularly."

"You know that I'm the, as Ashi puts it, 'Ultimate Fighting Weapon' and you're still not afraid of me? Why?"

"You're special to Kakashi-sensei. You don't achieve that by being just anyone, you have to pretty special yourself."

"Just because I'm 'special', doesn't mean I can't hurt you." Niea argued.

"I have no doubt about you being more than capable of hurting me. However, I'm just as sure that you wouldn't. Kakashi isn't the type to hold dear those who participate in random violence." Iruka finished his sentence before realizing his mistake.

Niea smiled slowly, "There's something about him that's rather endearing, isn't there? First, the honorific gets dropped. Subconsciously in the beginning. And, before you know it, you're shortening his name. And once he hears it, and he'll ALWAYS notice the first time, you'll never live it down. You'll have to call him that for the rest of your life."

"That's why you call him 'Ashi'? You," Iruka paused, unsure of which term to use, "slipped up?"

"Yeah… I was worried about him and it just kinda, came out. He'll completely ignore me if I try to call him anything else. As far as he's concerned, 'Kakashi' is dead to me."

"Why 'Ashi'? I always thought that if he were to shorten his name it would probably be 'Kashi'?"

"Ah… well, that would be because 'Kashi' is much too harsh for him. 'Ashi' is much, much gentler and, therefore, suits him better. It's all in the 'K'."

Iruka smiled at the thought of a jonin and the word 'gentle' being associated, but, nevertheless, had to admit that it was true. "When you think of it that way, you really do have a point."

"You'll be calling him 'Ashi' before too long." Niea said with a nod and a proud smile.

It was at this point that Iruka recalled something that Kakashi had only briefly mentioned. He paled slightly with just the thought. He gulped, "You're an empath, aren't you?"

Niea's face fell as she nodded her response. "You are afraid of me…"

"No! No, it's not that… It's just, I never meant for him to know. I didn't want to burden him." Iruka explained.

"You love him. And love is all about the other person's happiness. But you're assuming something there. You're assuming that I would tell him." Not a lie… I just can't tell the whole truth. I promised Ashi I wouldn't… but this is gonna be hard!

"Well, I-I just thought since you're so close that you would tell him."

"I like you Iruka-dono. You're taking care of him when he can't take care of himself and when I can't be there for him either. That's not gonna be something I just forget or ignore."

"Thank you. I enjoy being able to be there for him, with him." Iruka, curious now, asked, "What's it like?"

"Being an empath? It's not that different from your own experience of emotions except you get this background from the person along with the emotion. I didn't get my empathy until I was four. Young children can't handle it. They're too self-absorbed. So, when it first kicked in, intense emotions or too many emotions would cause me to collapse. It was like a tidal wave. But, you learn to adapt, focus and control."

"Wouldn't your 'watching' be hard on you then?"

"Not really. Large groups are easier for me because I can switch my focus. One on one is more difficult in my opinion because I have nothing to detract from their intensity."

"Oh, should I leave then?" Iruka was flustered by the information.

"No, no. I didn't mean it like that. You have this calmness to you, even when you're anxious… It's nice. Relaxing."

Iruka blushed, unsure of how to take the comment, "Thank you but I probably should be going. I shouldn't have left Kakashi for so long anyway." Iruka sighed in disappointment of himself at his repeated mistake.

"I told you! You won't even realize it. He'll notice long before you ever do."

"I'll just have to be more careful from now on." Iruka left and Niea shut and locked the door behind him.

KIKIKIKIKIKIKI

Sorry that this took so long! I got busy with college and I just kind of forgot to post it. It is considerably longer though if that helps any...

This is KakaIru. There is no triangle involving Niea.

Reviews are welcome and greatly appreciated!